Avoiding the Holidays
by Penemew
Summary: After the tragic death of his family last Christmas, Sasuke just isn't in the mood to celebrate. Unfortunately, that isn't the only problem in Konoha. Something is interfering with Santa's List, and Konoha isn't showing up! Naruto, Santa's faithful son, must travel to Konoha and discover what's causing the interference. But after a run in with Sasuke, Naruto gets a bit distracted.
1. Chapter 1

_Author's Note: Hello fine readers. I know this is a bit late, considering Christmas was several weeks ago, but I suddenly had the desire to write a Christmas story, even though it had already passed. I am actually really happy with this story, and how it turned out, so I hope you all enjoy it as well! I love holiday fics, and this is my first time writing one, so I'm pretty excited to share it. That being the case, I'm not totally sold on the title, so if anyone has any comments or suggestions about it, I'd be happy to hear it. Also, this entire fic is complete. That being said, I don't want to upload it all at once, and so I will probably update it depending on how much support it gets. More support, faster updates. But don't worry! It will definitely all get uploaded eventually! Also, some chapters are shorter than others, so I might update two chapters at once at times. Anyway, I'll stop the exposition. Please Enjoy, and don't forget to Favorite, Follow, and Review!_

 _DISCLAIMER: I will say this once and only once. I do not own Naruto or anything associated with it. I make no money off this and merely wrote it for my reader's entertainment. Please Enjoy._

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Naruto laughed heartily as he pelted another unsuspecting elf with a high velocity snowball. BAM! Right in the kisser.

"Naruto!" The loud shriek of motherly disapproval nearly lifted Naruto's soul out of his body. He loved his mother dearly but for being the holly jolly wife of Santa Claus, she was one scary woman. She always managed to have a frying pan in her hand when it was most convenient. Naruto ducked as it was thrown at him, sailing through the air and smacking another elf.

"Sorry!" she yelled before stomping over to her son. Naruto had the decency to look guilty, but Kushina knew it was all a roos. Her son was very sweet and kind hearted, but he never felt guilty about causing mischief, it was in his blood.

"Naruto, I thought I told you to go feed the reindeer? I just had Comet try to sneak into the kitchen to steal cookies." Naruto vaguely remembered such a command.

"Sorry mom, I'll go do it now," he said, rubbing the back of his neck and starting towards the stables.

"Never mind," Kushina said, waving it off. "Your father wants to see you. He's in the workshop." Naruto nodded and quickly switched course, heading for the large workshop in the center of the village. Naruto was a bit shocked his dad had called for him. Not because he and his dad weren't close, but this time of year was always extremely busy. It was only a few days after thanksgiving, and now everything was put into overdrive. It wasn't uncommon for Naruto to only see his dad once or twice over the course of the next few weeks. It was to be expected though, considering how much he needed to do. Running the North Pole was a lot of work, but he seemed to enjoy it. Naruto wasn't sure whether he would when the time came to take over. He had never been once for responsibility and work. He wasn't lazy by any means, but Naruto preferred to have fun.

"Hey Dad. Mom said you wanted to see me?" Naruto walked up to his dad, who was standing at the center of the workshop, a clipboard in his hands.

"Naruto," Minato called out with a grin. He walked over and gave Naruto a hug before getting down to business. "Yes. There is a bit of a problem. I was looking over my list and there seems to be something interfering with it."

"What do you mean?" Naruto had never heard of something interfering with the List before, nor had he ever thought that was possible.

"Well, you know that my list uses magic to monitor everyone's behavior and determine whether they have been naughty or nice, right?" Naruto nodded. He had learned about all the innerworkings of the North Pole and all of its magic. He still wasn't a master at it yet, not like his dad, but he understood how it worked.

"There is something interfering with that magic. There is an entire town that I can't see. It isn't on my list." Naruto gaped. How was that even possible? What could interfere with such old magic?

"How?"

Minato shook his head. "I don't know, but I don't have time to investigate. I need you to go to that town and figure out what's causing it. If there is something strong enough to interfere with my List's magic, then we need to know what it is." Naruto nodded. The List was a very ancient book made of very powerful, old magic. Whatever was causing this had to be extremely powerful, and could cause problems in the future.

"Okay, so which town is it?" As much as Naruto didn't like responsibility, he would do anything to help out his dad, and honestly, he was curious. Usually, the only people who could interact with the List's magic were Naruto, Minato, and Kushina.

"It's called Konoha," Minato said, handing a sheet of paper to his son. On it was a map. "The sooner you figure this out the better. If whatever this is spreads to other towns, it could be a serious problem." Naruto nodded and bid farewell, heading to his room to pack. He wasn't sure how long it would take, although he hoped it didn't take long, so he quickly packed half of his closet in his bag, not bothering to fold anything. His mom would probably frown at him for that, but it was fine. Naruto heaved his bag over his shoulder and left for the stable. Taking a reindeer would be the fastest way to get there.

"Naruto!" Naruto turned to see his mother jogging up to him. "Here. You'll need this." Naruto looked down at what his mom was handing him. It was a small plastic card.

"What's that for?" Naruto asked, holding the card up to his face.

"It's called a credit card. You'll need to pay for stuff when you get down there, and this will let you. If you need something, just pay for it with this." Naruto looked the card over and nodded. It had his name on it, as well as a bunch of numbers. Naruto had been to the human world before, but it was mostly in passing when he took trips with his dad. He remembered his dad telling him that humans used money to pay for things on one of their trips.

"Okay, thanks mom." Naruto found his reindeer of choice, Vixen, and quickly saddled up.

"Oh, and remember, the first thing you need to do when you get there is find a place to stay. I don't want my son living on the streets." Naruto laughed and nodded.

"Will do. I'll see you guys later." With that, Naruto gave Vixen a soft kick and they were soon in the air. Naruto looked back and gave an animated wave to his mom as he left, a few of the elves waving as well.

It didn't take too long for Naruto to reach the small town of Konoha. Well, it wasn't that small, but Naruto knew there were places much larger than this. Still, it clearly had a high population and the fact that none of these people were appearing on the List was troublesome. That was a lot of people to mask.

Naruto circled around until he could find a safe place to land. It was a large empty field behind an old barn just outside town. The air was chilly, though nowhere near as cold as the North Pole, and Naruto was sure it wouldn't be long until it began to snow. He would need to leave Vixen somewhere safe while he did his investigation. He could use that barn if it was empty.

Naruto quickly led Vixen down and made a soft landing. He glanced around the field one more time before jumping down and grabbing his bag.

"Alright buddy, let's see if this will work," Naruto said, leading Vixen towards the barn. As he pulled open the large wooden doors, he was met with an overwhelming emptiness. This would be perfect. Naruto just had to get Vixen some food and hay to sleep on. It would be easier just to let him wander the forest and find food, but Naruto knew it was too dangerous. If someone saw Vixen it could cause trouble. Unlike typical male reindeer, the reindeer from the North Pole kept their antlers all year, and they were much larger than typical reindeer. After all, it took a lot to make a sleigh fly.

It would also have been easier to just use his magic to get Vixen his food and hay, but it was a firm rule from his dad that no magic was to be done outside the North Pole without supervision. That was why his mom had given him the credit card.

"You sit tight, I'll go be back later. Here," Naruto said, rummaging in his bag and pulling out a sack of apples. "This should hold you over right?" Vixen nodded his head. "And no causing trouble until I get back?" Again, Vixen nodded. Naruto grinned and opened the bag, setting it down on the floor of the barn. "Enjoy!"

As Vixen munched away on the apples Naruto shut the barn door. Hopefully no one would go looking inside, but it appeared to be abandoned so Naruto thought his chances were good. "Now, where do I get food and hay?" Naruto began walking towards the town. He could ask someone there.

As Naruto walked into town he was pleasantly surprised to see that it was well decorated for the season. There were wreaths on light poles, garland on buildings, and ornaments and lights decorating the trees. It was rather nice, and made Naruto feel a bit more at home. It appeared the town really enjoyed Christmas, so Naruto was even more confused as to why they weren't appearing on his dad's list. Spotting a pretty pink haired girl with a festively green outfit, Naruto jogged over.

"Excuse me," Naruto called, smiling brightly. The girl looked up from her phone, looking at him curiously.

"Yes?"

"I was wondering if you could tell me where I could buy some hay and horse food?" Naruto knew Vixen wouldn't like being compared to a horse, but they ate relatively the same things, and Naruto wasn't about to say reindeer.

"Um…" the girl said, pausing as she thought. "Not really. Let me look it up." Naruto watched as she looked at her phone once more and began tapping away. Naruto looked on curiously, never having seen one used before. He had seen plenty at his father's workshop, but never felt the need to play with them. They never used phones.

"Here. There is a place a few blocks away," the girl said, showing Naruto the screen of her phone. Naruto saw the map and nodded.

"Thanks!" The girl nodded and Naruto waved as he walked away. When he reached the store, he was surprised by how small it was. It looked only slightly bigger than the other shops around it.

"Hello?" Naruto called as he walked into the store. A small bell jingled as he opened the door and a head popped out from behind a wall behind the counter.

"Hey there! Need help finding anything?" It was a man who looked around Naruto's age, which was wholly inaccurate because Naruto was pushing one-fifty. Even so, Naruto assumed he must be in his early twenties. He had wild brown hair and sported a large toothy grin. It made Naruto laugh because he looked like just the fellow who dealt with animals.

"I'm looking for some hay and some grain and oats."

"Have a horse you gotta feed?" the man asked, stepping fully from behind the wall. Naruto nodded scratching the back of his neck.

"Yeah, haha." The man nodded.

"Well you can follow me back here. We keep all our bulk items in back." Naruto nodded and followed the man behind the counter and back through a door. Indeed, there was a warehouse looking attachment at the back, though Naruto still didn't think it was very big. Maybe a third of the size of the stable back home.

"So are you knew in town? There aren't too many people who have horses and I know almost all of them."

"Uh, yeah, but I'm only going to be here for a little while," Naruto said, surveying the stock. It looked good quality.

"Here on business?"

"Uh…sorta, yeah." The man led Naruto to a large pile of hay wrapped up in barrels.

"So much do you think you'll need?" Naruto surveyed the barrels and nodded.

"I'll take three barrels." The man nodded before writing something down on a clipboard.

"Alright, and which brand of feed would you like. They are right over there." The man pointed to the other side of the room where a bulk stack of food sat. It was well organized in separate piles for each brand. Naruto stared at it a bit overwhelmed, not sure which to get. He didn't know there were different brands of food. Wasn't it all the same? They just had a large container of food, Naruto didn't know what kind it was. And the reindeer only ate it sometimes. Mostly they got wild greens and vegetables.

"Uh, whichever is the best one. I need a lot of it," Naruto finally said. The man gave him an odd look but nodded.

"How many horses you trying to feed?"

"Just one, but it's very big, and eats a lot." Once again, the man gave Naruto an odd look before shrugging.

"Alright, well let's get you rung up." Naruto nodded and followed him back to the counter where the man began pressing buttons while looking at his clipboard. "Alright, that all totals to $350." Naruto nodded and pulled out the card his mother gave him. He went to hand it to the man but he just shook his head. "You can just swipe it down there."

Naruto looked down at the machine he was pointing to a stared a moment before lifting the card and shaking his head.

"I've never used one of these before." The man looked at him funny but just shook his head and laughed.

"You gotta take your card, strip side down, and swipe it in that groove."

"Strip side?" Naruto asked, still confused. The laughed loudly, before grabbing the card and flipping it so Naruto's name faced him.

"Like that." Naruto nodded and did as he was told. He heard a beep so he assumed he'd done it right.

"Okay now just sign," the man said, still looking at him. Naruto looked down at the machine and saw a blank with an 'X' next to it. Once more Naruto looked to the man for guidance. He really wished his mom had told him how to use the card because now he was feeling like an idiot. It seemed these things were extremely common here.

"You're name. Take that pen and write your name on the blank." Naruto nodded and quickly did so.

"Thanks," Naruto said, giving the man a sheepish grin.

"No problem. You usually pay with cash?" the man asked, and Naruto just nodded. "Okay so where do you need it delivered?" the man asked, and Naruto's eyes widened. He hadn't thought about how he was going to get all the stuff back to the barn. Well, he had, but he had just assumed he would put it in his bag. He wouldn't be able to do that with the man there.

"Uh, it's an old abandoned barn outside of town. I don't know the address, sorry," Naruto finally said. The man looked at him in surprise.

"You bought that old barn? Man, that thing has been empty for years."

"Yeah, uh, I bought it today. You can just leave everything outside. My horse is, uh, easily startled." Naruto said.

"Are you sure? It looks like it's about to rain." Naruto nodded.

"Yeah, I'll be along soon to put it away."

The man sighed before nodding. "Alright, whatever you say. We should have it delivered in a few hours." Naruto nodded and thanked the man before leaving. Naruto sighed as he left the store. He really hoped Vixen was behaving himself. The last thing he needed was a giant reindeer startling everyone. Vixen was generally well behaved but he was a lot like Naruto and enjoyed causing mischief, especially if he was bored.

Suddenly, Naruto felt his stomach rumble harshly and he sighed. "I guess I should get something to eat." Naruto looked around, hoping there was somewhere nearby. He hadn't eaten since this morning and he was starving. Unfortunately, it didn't look like any of the nearby shops were restaurants. With a sigh and another grumble of his stomach Naruto began walking back towards where he'd spoken to the girl. He remembered seeing a few places to eat on his way to the feed store.

After another fifteen minutes of walking Naruto found a small café wedged between two clothing shops. It was well decorated for the holidays with snowflakes hanging in the window and garland and wreaths decorating the outside of the store. There was even outside seating that had lights draped above. It was very cute.

With a wide grin Naruto went inside, prepared to devour whatever they sold. However, as soon as he stepped through the door Naruto felt a chill come over him, causing a shiver to wrack his body despite the warm temperature in the café. Naruto stopped and glanced around, wondering what had caused such a thing. He couldn't find anything out of the ordinary though, so he sighed and walked towards the counter. There was a line of about three people ahead of him. Naruto took this time to stare at the menu. It had a large list of drinks, most of which was coffee though they had a variety of hot chocolate and tea as well. There was also a list of food items, though not quite as extensive as their drink options. It was mostly pastries and sandwiches. Naruto caught sight of a warm turkey sandwich with cranberry sauce and stuffing and felt his stomach give a loud growl. Yep, he was definitely getting that, and maybe one of those chocolate filled pastries. Those looked really good. Next, he looked back at the drinks and quickly decided on a peppermint hot chocolate.

There were still two people before him, and with his order decided, Naruto let his eyes wander. After briefly looking over the case of pastries and a few of the patrons, Naruto's eyes finally landed on the person at the counter. Naruto instantly felt another shiver run through his body but the chill was quickly overtaken by the warmth filling his cheeks.

The man at the counter was absolutely gorgeous. He had rich black hair that spiked up slightly in the back and coal black eyes to match. His skin looked as soft and pale as the snow at the North Pole, and Naruto wanted to touch it to see if it was just as cold. What made it even better though, was the adorable Santa hat he wore, adorned with little bells. Naruto wished the man would smile, knowing he would look even more amazing.

"Can I help you?" Naruto was suddenly shocked out of his starring by a deep, rich voice, which he quickly discovered was coming from the handsome man.

"Sorry!" Naruto quickly said, stepping the few feet to the counter that the people in front of him had vacated. "Uh," Naruto paused, trying to remember what he had decided to order. The man stared at him with bored eyes that were working hard to hide their irritation. "I'll have the hot turkey sandwich, the pastry with the chocolate filling, and a peppermint hot chocolate." The man paused a moment before pushing some buttons on the screen in front of him.

"That'll be $13.50. Can I have your name?" Naruto wasn't sure why the man was asking, but quickly complied as he handed him the card.

"Naruto," he said cheerily. The man nodded, typing something in and swiping the card on the side of the screen.

"Here's your receipt." The man handed Naruto a piece of paper and Naruto nodded, still smiling at the man.

"You can wait for your food over there," the man said, pointing at the counter to Naruto's right. Naruto instantly felt his cheeks heat up and he nodded.

"Right, thanks." He quickly moved over to the counter to wait for his food, watching as the man rolled his eyes and took the next customer. Suddenly, Naruto saw a name flash before his eyes.

 _Sasuke_.

Was that the man's name? Naruto's eyes widened. It must be! Naruto grinned as he continued to watch the man. That was one of his father's abilities. Being Sant, he could know a person's name just by looking at them. Naruto hadn't experienced that ability yet, at least, not until now. Sasuke. What a pretty name, Naruto thought.

"Naruto!" Naruto jumped as he heard his name being called and turned around to see a sweet girl wearing a headband with antlers handing him his food and drink. "Have a great day," she said, and Naruto nodded before she turned away to prepare another order. Naruto was about to turn around and find a table when he caught sight of Sasuke seeming to be struggling. Naruto watched a moment, soon realizing that the customer didn't seem to speak English. Naruto listened to the broken conversation for a moment, watching as Sasuke became more frustrated.

"I'm sorry ma'am, but I don't know which item you are pointing to," Sasuke said, and that was when Naruto walked up with a smile.

"Maybe I can help." Sasuke looked shocked at his sudden appearance but his expression quickly morphed into confusion. Instead of saying anything to Sasuke, Naruto quickly turned to the woman and began speaking in French. After a quick back and forth, Naruto turned back to Sasuke and grinned.

"She says she wants the breakfast panini and a large latte." Sasuke seemed completely thrown and in shock and it made Naruto's cheeks heat up a bit. Sasuke quickly typed at his screen before turning back to Naruto.

"That will be $9.25." Naruto turned back and quickly translated for the woman, who handed Sasuke some cash.

"And can I have her name?" Sasuke asked, and Naruto nodded, although a bit confused. So Sasuke asking him for his name wasn't special.

The woman nodded and turned to Sasuke. "Marie." Sasuke nodded and handed the woman her change. The woman quickly thanked Naruto and headed off to wait for her food.

"You speak French?" Naruto suddenly heard Sasuke ask. Naruto nodded.

"Yep. I speak a lot of languages," Naruto said, hoping to impress him. If he did, Sasuke didn't show it.

"Well thanks," Sasuke said, before turning to the next customer. Naruto frowned a bit, hoping to speak with Sasuke more, but he just went and sat down. His stomach was still growling and his food was going to get cold.


	2. Chapter 2

_Author's Note: Hello my lovelies. So here is the second chapter. I don't have much to say, but I really hope you guys enjoy it! Please Follow, Favorite, and Review. Enjoy!_

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Naruto sighed as he finally got up from his table to throw away his garbage. He had been sitting at the café for two hours and if he didn't leave now he wasn't going to be there when the hay and food was delivered. With a farewell glance at Sasuke, Naruto left the café and began walking back to the barn. It only took about thirty minutes but it had begun to rain as he approached. The guy from the shop and two other men were unloading the hay and feed form a pickup truck. Naruto waved as he approached, using his other hand to cover his eyes from the light rain.

"Thanks guys!" Naruto said, walking up to them. They had just put the last bag of feed by the door.

"No problem. I told you it was going to start raining," the brunette said with a laugh. "We can help you get all that inside."

"No, I'm fine," Naruto said, shaking his head quickly.

"Really dude, it's not a problem," the man said, grabbing a bag and heading towards the door.

"No, really!" Naruto said, trying to stop the man. He grabbed the latch to the door and held it down. The three men looked at him strangely, and one of the men, the one with dark brown hair in a short ponytail, walked forward.

"What's going on? A bit weird to be so protective of your horse." Naruto wanted to glare at the man but suddenly the doors rattled, as if something had hit them. Damn it! Naruto thought. Vixen must smell the hay and grain. With just that bag of apples he was probably still hungry. He could be such a pain.

"What was that?" The third man asked, eyes wide.

"Nothing," Naruto said quickly, silently threatening Vixen.

"Come on dude the rain is getting worse. Just let us help you," the first man said, trying to push past Naruto. This man could be just as stubborn as Naruto. Another shuttering of the doors and Naruto fell back, allowing the three men to heave the door open to reveal Vixen, who took the chance to leap out the door and soar towards the hay. Naruto cried out, cursing Vixen and his damn appetite. His dad was going to kill him.

"Holy hell!" The first man cried, falling back in an attempt to get out of the way. The other two were starring with wide eyes at the large reindeer now munching calmly on hay.

"T-that's a reindeer," the third man stuttered out.

"A giant reindeer," the second man said, eyes wide. Naruto groaned, running up to Vixen and banging on his back angrily.

"Damnit Vixen why can't you think with your head instead of your stomach! I told you not to cause any trouble!" Slowly, as Naruto continued yelling and banging on Vixen, the other three men got up and slowly moved closer.

"You…you just called that thing Vixen?" Naruto froze, turning to look at the three men starring at him in a mix of confusion and wonder.

"Uh…yeah…"

"As in, like, Santa's reindeer?" the third man asked.

"Yeah but it's just a name, you know. Obviously, this isn't Santa's reindeer," Naruto tried, giving a forced laugh. None of them seemed to buy it.

"That thing flew," the second man said.

"Yeah, and it's huge," the first man added.

"It has to be the size of a moose," the second one said.

"Don't be silly," Naruto tried. "Reindeer can't fly."

"That one did," the third man said.

"I think you guys are losing it," Naruto said with a laugh. "Thanks for dropping off the stuff, but we should be good now," Naruto said, patting Vixen on his side. At that moment, Vixen decided he was done with the hay and with a pus of his legs he was sailing back into the barn.

"Damnit! When we get back I'm going to make _sure_ you're grounded for Christmas! Who needs eight reindeer?" Naruto yelled pelting Vixen with a large snowball. After a few moments of huffing and puffing, Naruto realized what he had done and the other three men were just staring at him with impossibly wide eyes. His dad was going to be so mad he had used magic.

"Uh…" Naruto turned with a sheepish grin. "I can explain."

And so he did, for the next hour. He told them about who he was, where he was from, and why he was in Konoha. They were taking it surprisingly well, but Naruto supposed it was easy to accept after watching a giant reindeer fly.

"So have you found what's causing the interference?" the man with the ponytail, Shikamaru, said. Naruto shook his head.

"No. I've spent most of the day getting settled in." Naruto thought back to the café and a small blush popped up on his cheeks.

"Well where are you staying?" the first man, Kiba, asked. Naruto looked back at the barn.

"There I guess. I used to sleep in the stable as a kid so this is fine."

"Dude," Kiba said. "You can't stay in a barn. You'll freeze." Naruto shrugged, patting Vixen. They had moved into the barn after moving all of the hay and feed in and Vixen had finally settled down and was laying behind Naruto.

"I'm fine. It's much colder at home, and Vixen is like a big heater." The three men shook their heads.

"You should at least get some blankets and stuff," the last guy, Choji, said. Naruto nodded.

"Yeah, blankets would be nice. I didn't bring any."

"Well we should get going then," Shikamaru said, standing.

"Huh?" Kiba asked, looking confused.

"To take him shopping. He obviously doesn't know where anything is, and after what you told us about at the shop, he clearly doesn't understand how buying stuff works," Shikamaru continued, and Naruto blushed at being reminded of his ignorance.

"Oh, okay. And we can help him find whatever is interfering with Santa's list!" Choji cheered.

"Yeah! It's no fair we get no presents," Kiba said, grinning. Naruto laughed and stood.

"Cool, thanks guys." They began to walk to the door when Naruto stopped. "Oh, and I'm sure I don't need to tell you this, but you can't tell anyone. I'm probably in trouble just for telling you guys."

"No problem."

"We understand." Naruto nodded and they continued walking towards Kiba's truck. This would make things much faster. It didn't take them long to get back to town, and the rain had let up some. They pulled up in front of a small shop not far from the café and Naruto couldn't help but glance down the road, wondering if Sasuke was still there. Naruto followed the three men into the shop and smiled at what he saw. This town was amazing. It seemed like every shop was decorated in some fashion. This shop had a very homey feel with a large faux fireplace and stockings hanging from it. Around the room were table with blankets stacked on them. The walls had tapestries and there were large pillows on the floor. It made Naruto want to flop down and nap. There was a smell in the air that Naruto didn't recognize. It was a bit spicy and floral.

"Hello! Can I help you gentleman find anything?" A small woman came from behind a doorway hidden by a wall of hanging beads. She looked like someone's grandmother, and not completely unlike what most people thought his mother looked like.

"We were just looking for some blankets. Something really thick and warm," Kiba said, smiling at the woman. She nodded and led us over to a table with large blankets of all colors.

"These are very nice. They are made of a faux fur and are very plush. I have one myself at home," she said, pulling the corner of the blanket out for them to touch. Naruto grinned as he felt it. It reminded him of some of the blankets they had at home.

"I like it. Um, do you have anything that could be used to lay on? Like a floor cushion?" Naruto asked. The woman nodded and led them over to where the pillows were piled up.

"I have a few good futons. Feel free to try them out." Naruto nodded and plopped down on the nearest futon. It was very comfy, but not quite big enough. He saw one a few feet away that looked perfect, and once he laid down he confirmed he was right. Naruto quickly picked out a few more blankets and pillows and they were soon waiting at the counter.

"Dude, I know you needed blankets but do you know how much this will be?" Kiba said, waving at the futon box and the bags containing the blankets and pillows. Naruto shook his head.

"Alright sweetie, that will be $365.98. Are we paying cash or card?"

"Card," Naruto said, handing the woman the piece of plastic. The woman smiled as she swiped it and handed it back, along with a receipt. Naruto thanked her as he and the other three carried the stuff back to Kiba's truck.

"Man, I can't believe you spent that much on blankets. That's more than the stuff you got from me," Kiba said, shutting the bed of his truck. Luckily it had a cover. The rain had mostly stopped now but it could start up again any minute.

"Is that a lot?" Naruto asked. They were walking down the street now. The guys had mentioned that they were hungry, and Naruto told them he knew a place nearby.

"Uh, yeah. You're spending money like you got it growing on trees."

"Does it…do that?" Naruto asked, thinking that was strange. The other three began laughing, and Naruto felt his cheeks heat up.

"No dude. That's my point. Where do you even getting it from? I can't imagine you get paid at the North Pole," Kiba said, and Shikamaru elbowed him. "Oh, sorry. _At home_." Naruto shook his head.

"I don't. We don't use money. Honestly, I don't really know how it works. My mom just gave it to me, said I would need to pay for things." This made Kiba laugh hard.

"Man, you sound like some rich kid."

"Is that a bad thing?"

"No," Shikamaru started, also laughing. "As long as you don't act like one." Naruto nodded and opened the door to the café for the other three men to enter. It was a bit busier than it was before, but there wasn't a long line. Only a few people. It gave them all time to decide what they wanted. Naruto guessed it was because of the rain that so many people were now sitting in the shop.

"Back already?" Sasuke asked as Naruto walked up. Part of him was surprised Sasuke remembered him, after all, it had been a few hours and he must have had plenty of customers, but the other part of him was glad. Clearly, he had made an impression.

"We were doing some shopping nearby and my friends got hungry." Sasuke nodded.

"So what can I get you?" he asked. Naruto quickly rattled off the same order as before. Naruto quickly stepped to the side to wait for the others.

"Hey Sasuke," Shikamaru said.

"Shikamaru," Sasuke said, nodding at the other man. Naruto's eyes widened in surprise. "What can I get you?

"I'll just have a black coffee and a bagel." Sasuke nodded and Shikamaru quickly paid, stepping next to Naruto. Once they all ordered, it didn't take long for their orders to be brought out and they quickly sat at a table.

"You know Sasuke?" Naruto finally asked Shikamaru, unable to contain himself. He glanced over at the handsome cashier, meeting his eyes for a moment before quickly looking away.

"Yeah, we used to go to university together," Shikamaru said, spreading cream cheese on his bagel. Naruto was pretty sure that was a kind of schooling. That meant Sasuke was smart as well as good looking.

"How come he's working here if he went to university with you? Didn't you go to some elite school?" Kiba asked. Shikamaru shrugged.

"He dropped out when the fire happened. I guess he never re-enrolled."

"Wait, he's Sasuke Uchiha?" Choji asked, shoveling his food into his mouth. Shikamaru nodded.

"Man, poor guy," Kiba said, and Naruto was sure he was missing something important, but he felt too embarrassed to ask. It felt like it was personal business, and he didn't want to gossip about it.

"So why so interested?" Shikamaru asked, a small smirk in place as he caught Naruto starring at said man. Naruto quickly snapped his attention back to the three men and he blushed when he realized he'd been caught.

"No reason," he tried, but Shikamaru didn't believe him. Shikamaru was way too perceptive for Naruto's own good.

"Nah, I think it's the same reason he's been starring at him this whole time," Kiba said, laughing. Naruto's face became enflamed as embarrassment engulfed him.

"I haven't been starring," Naruto mumbled, trying to defend himself.

"So the future Santa has a thing for candy canes," Kiba said, and even Naruto didn't miss that innuendo. He may be a bit naïve when it comes to the human world but some things were universal. Without a second thought Naruto reached out and punched Kiba's shoulder.

"Shut up," he growled, entire face red as a tomato. The other three men just laughed, and Naruto couldn't stop himself from glancing over at Sasuke to see an amused smirk in place. Naruto's face got even redder and swore if Sasuke heard what they were saying he would die.

"Come on, let's go. I want to get the stuff back before it starts raining again," Naruto grumbled and everyone gathered their trash, still laughing.

When they got back to the barn, Naruto was glad to see nothing look out of place. The doors were closed and it hadn't rained yet. Naruto had been worried Vixen might bust through the door. The four of them quickly grabbed the box and several bags and made their way to the barn. Naruto heaved the door open and they all walked inside, talking about where to set everything, when Naruto noticed one glaring empty space where a giant reindeer once was.

"Damnit!" Naruto yelled, looking around the barn.

"Where's Vixen?" Choji asked, and everyone else nodded.

"How could he have gotten out? The doors were still closed," Shikamaru said, and Naruto wondered the same thing. That was until he felt a bit of rain fall on his cheek and he looked up to see there was a large window towards the ceiling that had been opened.

"Vixen must have flown through there," Kiba said, and Naruto cursed. Why had he brought Vixen? Of all the reindeer he was always the most trouble.

"Come one, we need to find him before anyone sees him," Naruto said, pulling a coat out of his bag and heading towards the door. Luckily it was beginning to get dark so there was a good chance no one would see him. Sadly, that also meant it was getting colder and it still might rain.

"How are we supposed to find him? It's not like he would leave tracks," Choji said, and Naruto grinned.

"All the reindeer give off magic. I just have to follow it."

"Like a scent trail?" Kiba asked.

"Yeah."

"But how can you follow it? Is it something you can see?" Shikamaru asked, and Naruto shook his head, thinking of how best to explain it.

"No, it's more like I can feel it. It's a bit like when there is electricity in the air. Everyone and everything at the North Pole is made from magic, so we can all feel it."

"That is so cool," Kiba marveled, and Naruto laughed.

"Yeah, it is. Now come on. That damn reindeer is going to get me in so much trouble," Naruto said, walking towards Kiba's truck. They all quickly jumped inside and drove back to town.

"I can't pinpoint it exactly, but he definitely went towards town."


	3. Chapter 3

_Author's Note: Welcome! I posted these two together because both are rather short, and I didn't want this chapter to be such a short update on its own. I hope you enjoy a bit of Sasuke's POV. I actually really enjoyed writing his POV. If I do a sequel, I definitely want to do some more stuff in it. Anyway, I'm glad you guys are enjoying it so far! Please let me know! Getting reviews really puts a smile on my face. So enough of me, on with the show! Please Favorite, Follow, and Review. Enjoy!_

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Sasuke sighed as he checked out another customer. He had been at work all day and he was ready to be done. Only another hour until close, but it wasn't soon enough. Suddenly, Sasuke heard the bell at the door ring and on a whim he glanced up and was surprised to see that odd blond from before…Naruto, if he remembered correctly.

"Back already?" Sasuke asked, unable to keep an amused smile from leaking onto his face. Naruto didn't seem to notice because instead he looked shocked Sasuke remembered him. That made Sasuke want to laugh. How could he not remember the weird guy who speaks French and sat at his table for two hours looking at him. Even if Naruto wasn't strange, his appearance definitely stood out. He had bright blonde hair and the bluest eyes Sasuke had ever seen on a person. He was a strange mix between handsome and cute. He gave the conflicting impression of a clueless child along with that of a strong man. There was an air about him that just screamed mystery, even though he looked quite open. He was quite the whirlwind.

"We were doing some shopping nearby and my friends got hungry," he said. Sasuke nodded.

"So what can I get you?" Sasuke asked. Naruto just rattled off the same order as before, which Sasuke was surprised he remembered. Next Shikamaru walked up, and Sasuke was a bit surprised that they knew each other. Once they all got their table, Sasuke couldn't help but glance at them from time to time. He recognized the other two men, but he didn't know who they were. He figured he had gone to high school with them or seen them in town. Sasuke couldn't help but smile to himself as he realized Naruto kept looking at him. A break in customers gave Sasuke the chance to look at them for a bit longer and he was extremely amused to see Naruto's face a burning red. It was extremely cute, and the bright red contrasted well with his eyes, making them look even bluer.

Sasuke wondered what they were talking about to make the blonde blush so heavily, and he wanted to laugh when Naruto caught him starring and quickly looked away, his blush deepening. It wasn't long after that they all left, Naruto's face twisted into a small pout. Very cute. It had been a while since Sasuke found an interest in anyone, sexual or otherwise, and he'd almost forgot what it felt like. Clearly the man was new in town because there was no way Sasuke would have missed him.

Sasuke looked up at the clock and sighed. Five minutes until close. Sasuke quickly put a closed sign on the counter and walked to the back. They closed the counter early to give the kitchen time to finish orders and start cleaning. Sasuke told the bakers and baristas he closed the counter and then went to the floor to let everyone know they would be closing soon. Most people in town knew their closing time so there were only a few customers still in the shop. Absentmindedly, Sasuke wished Naruto had stayed late so he could have gone and spoke to him again.

Another hour and Sasuke was finally leaving. The manager was out of town and had left Sasuke as the stand in, so he was always the last to leave. With a sigh, he got in his car that was parked behind the shop and began his drive home. Sakura had asked him to hang out once he got off, so he wasn't surprised when he saw her standing at his door. It used to creep him out, but once they came to the agreement that they were never going to be a thing, she became a pretty good friend. She still did some of the same stuff, like wait outside his door when he wasn't home, but now he just associated it with her personality. She was just a bit over the top.

"Finally! I've been freezing my tits off," Sakura said, and Sasuke rolled his eyes, unlocking the door and allowing her inside.

"Maybe you should wait at home for me then."

Sakura shook her head. "Nope. Because then you'll come up with some excuse as to why we can't hang out." Sasuke sighed, because it was true. He had done it on multiple occasions. They were friends, and he didn't particularly hate her company, it was just his personality. He would avoid company whenever he got the chance, even when he might want it.

"So what are the plans for tonight?" Sasuke asked, pulling off his coat and walking to his room to change. He messed with the thermostat on his way. He had turned the heater on a few days ago but now it was getting too warm.

"Movies, hot chocolate," she began to list off, "the usual." Sasuke nodded in his room, despite her being unable to see him, and pulled on his plaid pajama pants and white t-shirt. When he got back to the living room Sakura had taken off her coat and was sitting on the couch in her own pair of fuzzy pajama pants and a tank top. She already had Netflix pulled up and was scrolling through the Christmas category. Sakura, like the rest of their town, was very festive. Sasuke was never quite that animated about it, but he had always been fond of Christmas. At least until recently. Now it was a bit of a sore spot for him. After the fire last year, he just couldn't get into the mood. Even so, he didn't mind indulging Sakura or everyone else. Even if he couldn't get into the Christmas spirit didn't mean no one else could.

"So what will it be? Snow, or Santa Paws?" Sakura asked, and Sasuke focused back on the T.V. If he remembered correctly they had watched these before, but he couldn't remember what they were about.

"Whichever you want. I'll go make the hot chocolate," Sasuke said, getting up. Sakura nodded and quickly picked a movie, waiting for Sasuke to get back.

"Don't forget the whip cream!" Sakura yelled and Sasuke couldn't help but laugh. As if he could forget. He had been making hot chocolate for them since Sakura went from being his stalker to being his friend. He'd forgot the whip cream once and she had gone into meltdown. It was also that time of the month and she had warned him that she was being extra moody. Sasuke never made that mistake again. His ear drums couldn't take the abuse.

"Here," Sasuke said, handing Sakura her hot chocolate and taking a seat. She started the movie, and soon they were engrossed in the adventure of Santa Paws. This was clearly a kid's movie, but even Sasuke could enjoy the cheesiness and abundant Christmas corniness. A sudden yelp made Sasuke and Sakura jump, pausing the movie and looking at each other in confusion.

"What was that?" Sakura asked, looking towards the kitchen where the backdoor was. Sasuke shook his head.

"I don't know. It sounded like someone yelping." Sakura nodded and they both jumped when they heard a thump.

"Okay, what the hell is out there?" Sakura asked, clutching pillow to her chest. "Go check it out."

"Why do I have to go?" Sasuke grumbled.

"Because you're the big strong man, now go!" she yelled, using her feet to shove him off the couch. Sasuke glared at her but got up anyway and made his way to the kitchen. There was a small window on the back door, but it had fogged up do to the difference in temperature, so he couldn't see through it. As he got closer he could vaguely make out whispering. Was someone trying to rob him? Slowly, he reached for the door and opened it, poking his head outside. What he saw completely threw him through a loop.

"Naruto?" There, in the middle of his backyard, was Naruto, soaking wet and starring at him wide eyed.

"Uh, hey Sasuke. This uh…this is your house?" Naruto stumbled out, turning to face him but looking around the backyard frantically.

"Yeah. What are you doing here?" Sasuke couldn't help but feel a bit weirded out by seeing Naruto in his backyard, but surely there was a good explanation. Then again, it wouldn't be the first time he'd had a weird stalker.

"Um, my…dog got out, and ran back here. I was looking for him." Naruto said, finally turning to face Sasuke, a sheepish laugh escaping him. Sasuke had to admit, he looked rather adorable like that, with his hair clinging to his face and water drops on his cheeks. Sasuke hadn't noticed it had started raining.

"Do you need help?" Sasuke offered, glancing around his yard. It was extremely dark, and he made a mental note to fix the automatic light that was supposed to come on. The only thing illuminating Naruto's form was the moon light and the light flooding form Sasuke's doorway.

"No! Uh, I saw him run back that way. Besides, you are dressed for bed."

"Hey Sasuke, what's going on?" Sasuke turned his head to see Sakura walking up and she poked her head out past him to look into the back yard.

"Hey it's you!" she said, pointing at Naruto.

"You know him?" Sasuke asked. How did everyone seem to know the odd blond?

"Yeah. I helped him find a place that sold horse supplies."

"Horse supplies?" Sasuke asked, turning to Naruto in confusion. Why would he need horse supplies?

"Uh, hi, again. Thanks for before," Naruto said, now looking even more uncomfortable than before. He looked like a deer in headlights. "Anyway, I should go get my…dog. Bye!" Sasuke watched as Naruto ran off, climbing the small fence that surrounded half of his backyard, the other half facing the woods.

"Wait didn't you say-!" Sasuke tried to call out, but the blond was gone. Sasuke could swear he said his dog ran the other way.

"That was weird," Sakura said as they closed the door and walked back to the living room. Sasuke nodded.

"Yeah." They sat back down and finished the movie. They watched a few more before they got tired and Sasuke just left Sakura on his couch and went to his own room to sleep. She could find her way out in the morning.


	4. Chapter 4

_Author's Note: Hello! I'm glad to see that everyone is enjoying themselves so far! I hope you all liked to see a bit from Sasuke's POV. I noticed that usually Sakura is Naruto's friend in stories, and I thought it was fun to make her Sasuke's best friend instead. Please enjoy this next part, and don't forget to Follow, Favorite, and Review. Enjoy!_

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It had been a full two weeks, and Naruto still couldn't believe that those three idiots had abandoned him that night. While he was trying to get a hold of Vixen, they must have noticed someone heading for the door and quickly made their escape, leaving him in Sasuke's backyard looking like an idiot.

He had spent all his time since then trying to figure out what was causing the strange interference, adamantly avoiding going back to that café and running into Sasuke. Kiba thought it was hilarious, but Naruto was way too embarrassed to show his face to the handsome man. It was a given that Sasuke probably thought he was some creep, showing up in his backyard like that. Naruto honestly hadn't known it was his house, and when he saw him walk out in his pajamas he had felt a part of him die. Sasuke looked so cute with his hair all messed up and Naruto could feel his brain shutting down. Even worse, he was with that girl from before, the pink haired one. Clearly, they must be dating or something. Why else would she be there at night in her pajamas. Sasuke probably thought he was an idiot, pining after him like he was. He could just imagine Sasuke and that girl laughing at him after he left. Yeah, there was no way he was ever showing his face in that café ever again.

He had hoped that he would be able to finish his investigations quickly so he could go home and forget about his mortifying embarrassment, but to no avail. Naruto had thought maybe it was another magic at work, but he couldn't pinpoint anything. There was a strange chill every now in then, as if there might be something there, but Naruto could never figure out where it was coming from. For all he knew he was making it up. After all, it was getting colder, and Naruto was sure it would snow any day now. Kiba and the others were no help either. While they had thought the whole Santa's son and magical interference thing was cool, they seemed to find his tragic attraction to Sasuke even more interesting, and were constantly trying to get him back to the café. Apparently, Shikamaru had even talked to him about Naruto. Naruto had pelted him with a conjured snowball when he found out, consequences be damned.

"So, any luck?" Shikamaru asked as Kiba fed carrots to Vixen and Choji munched on an apple.

Naruto shook his head. "No. I can't figure it out. It's like I can feel there is something here, but I can't tell what it is, and I still don't know how it is affecting the List."

"And what about with Sasuke?" Kiba yelled form across the room, and Naruto had half a mind to throw a snowball at him as well. Shikamaru smirked at him, waiting for him to respond.

"Of course not. He probably thinks I'm some huge wierdo, and plus, he has a girlfriend."

"Well, you are a wierdo," Kiba said, laughing as Vixen finished his carrot.

"But there is no way he has a girlfriend," Shikamaru added.

"Well he definitely does. Why else would that girl have been there?" Naruto asked, crossing his arms and rolling his eyes. He wished his friends would just let it go. He was already upset about it enough.

"Who knows, but my intuition says you're wrong," Shikamaru said. Naruto just waved him off.

"Whatever. I just want to focus on the interference and get back home."

"Then I assume you haven't figured it out yet?" Naruto nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard that and spun around to come face to face with his dad.

"Uh, hi dad."

"Dad?" Kiba, Choji, and Shikamaru said at the same time. Minato looked up and surveyed the three men before looking at his son with a raised eyebrow.

"Made friends I see." Naruto gave a nervous laugh and scratched the back of his neck as he took a few steps back.

"Yeah, uh, I can explain. See, they were delivering some hay for Vixen, and he jumped out of the barn, and they saw and, I didn't really have any choice but to tell them, you know?" Naruto rushed out, hoping his dad wouldn't be too mad at him. Minato just looked up at the other three men, eyeing them suspiciously before addressing them.

"Kiba, Shikamaru, Choji?" They all nodded. "I assume you've told no one?" They shook their heads rapidly. Minato nodded in approval. "And you've been giving Naruto a hard time?" They shook their heads once more, and Minato frowned. "That's too bad. He needs a taste of his own medicine," Minato said, his frown breaking as a mischievous smile broke out. The other three men stared at him for a moment before breaking out into laughter.

"Naruto, your dad is so cool," Kiba said.

"Who knew Santa had such a sense of humor," Choji laughed. Naruto frowned as everyone laughed at his expense. Once everyone's laughter died down, including Vixen's who Naruto could hear laughing, he turned to his dad.

"So what are you doing here? How did you get away from the workshop?" Minato settled down and looked at his son, now more serious.

"I left your mother in charge. I wanted to see what progress you've made. You hadn't come home so I got worried. Clearly I had a right to be. There is only two and a half weeks until Christmas and unless this gets fixed, this whole town is going to get skipped."

"I know," Naruto said, trying to fight off the guilt in his stomach. "I've been trying, but I can't figure it out."

"What do you mean?"

"It's like, I can feel something, but I can't pinpoint it, and half the time it isn't even there. My abilities aren't as sharp as yours yet," Naruto said, now feeling useless. If his dad had been here he would have figured it out in now time.

"Can't you stay?" Naruto asked. Minato shook his head.

"I have to get back to the workshop. I can take a quick look around though, see if I can figure out what it is you're sensing." Naruto nodded and began walking towards Kiba's truck.

"Great! Then let's go!" Naruto climbed into the car and everyone quickly followed, making sure the barn doors were shut. They drove into town, Kiba and Choji speaking animatedly with Minato. Their plan was to just drive around town until Naruto or his dad sensed something.

"So there are actual elves?" Kiba asked, glancing at Minato in the rearview mirror. Minato nodded. "Are they like, all short with rosy cheeks and pointy shoes?" Kiba continued. Minato and Naruto couldn't stop their laughter.

"I suppose some of them might, but most of them look just like you or me," Minato said. "Though they are a bit short. I'd say the average height is about five feet." Kiba and Choji looked like little kids as they talked, while Shikamaru sat in silent wonder. He wasn't as vocal about his interest, but his attention never left the conversation, which was rare.

"Wait," Minato suddenly said, startling everyone. Kiba quickly hit the brakes, causing the person behind him to honk loudly. He quickly pulled into a parking spot, and suddenly Naruto realized where they were. He instantly felt his stomach twist and his heart rate pick up.

"I definitely felt something when we turned down this street." Naruto only prayed they wouldn't go where he thought they would. It was just his luck. They climbed out of the car and followed as Minato led the way, Naruto's heart pounding so hard he thought it might rip from his chest.

"It's in here," Minato said, and Naruto thought he would die on the spot. Why did it have to be at the café? And, of course, Sasuke would be working as they walked in. Naruto blushed heavily and gave a slight wave, his dad's eyes zeroing in on the handsome cashier. Without missing a beat, Minato sauntered up to the counter and ordered a drink, warm smile in place. He exchanged a few words with Sasuke before walking back over to them.

"Naruto, you know that boy?"

"Well, kinda," he said, shifting uncomfortably. "Why?"

"Because whatever is going on is centered on him." Naruto's body instantly stiffened, and he couldn't stop from glancing at Sasuke, who was giving them a strange look.

"Are you sure?" Naruto asked. Minato nodded.

"I'm not sure how he's doing it, or if he's even aware of it, but you need to keep an eye on him and find out. There is something strange about that boy." Naruto frowned as he listened to his dad, and once again he looked at Sasuke, but to his surprise, he wasn't there.

"Where'd he go?" Naruto said, and everyone turned to see the empty counter. After a moment, a girl walked over and took over. Had they scared Sasuke off?

"Naruto, I'm counting on you. I have to go now," Minato said, walking out of the shop. Naruto didn't even bother following him, knowing he would be gone. One of the perks of being Santa, he didn't need reindeer to travel. The only reason he needed reindeer was to fly the sleigh, otherwise there was no way for him to carry all of the presents.

"Well, what are you going to do?" Shikamaru asked, and Naruto groaned before walking up to the girl at the counter.

"Excuse me, but do you know where Sasuke went?" The girl looked at him and nodded.

"He wasn't feeling well so he went home, which is pretty odd because I don't think I've ever seen him get sick." Naruto nodded and thanked the girl. He was just about to leave the shop when he heard his name being called out. Looking back, he saw another girl at the counter, holding a drink with his name on it. Naruto sighed and went over to take it. With the hot chocolate in hand, Naruto left the café, saying goodbye to his friends and making a b-line for Sasuke's house.

He wasn't sure what he was going to do when he got there, but he had to go check it out. His dad said to keep an eye on him, and as much as he wanted to ignore his order like he had many other times, he couldn't knowingly condemn a whole town. When he made it there, he was glad to see that there was a car in the drive way, which indeed meant Sasuke must be home. With a deep breath, Naruto walked up, and knocked on his door. All Naruto could do was listen to his heart pound as he waited. Luckily, it didn't take Sasuke long to answer the door.

"Naruto? What are you doing here?" Sasuke asked. He was once again wearing his pajamas, despite it being only the midafternoon, and he definitely looked worse than when he was at the café.

"Um, I wanted to make sure you were okay. You suddenly left the café after talking to my dad—"

"That was your dad?" Sasuke interrupted, looking shocked, and Naruto nodded slowly.

"Yeah. I just wanted to make sure he didn't say anything weird to you." This only made Sasuke's brows to furrow further.

"Why would he have said something weird to me?" Now Naruto was beginning to feel flustered again.

"I don't know. I just, thought I should make sure. He can be a bit out there."

"Like father like son," Sasuke said, and Naruto looked at the ground, feeling a twinge of pain in his chest. Sasuke seemed irritated, which I guess Naruto couldn't blame him for, considering his freaky stalker had just shown up on his doorstep.

"Sorry," Sasuke said suddenly, and Naruto looked up, confused.

"For what?"

"That came out harsher than I meant," Sasuke sighed, rubbing his head and messing up his hair further. Rather than looking intentional, like it did when he was at work, his hair was slightly fluffy and spiked out at more random angles. Naruto wondered of her had been laying down.

"It's okay. I know I'm not really normal," Naruto said, trying to laugh but only managing to let out n uncomfortable chuckle.

"Do you want to come in?" Sasuke said, shocking Naruto enough he forgot about his uncomfortable laugh.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. You came all this way. The least I can do is offer you a drink," Sasuke said, opening the door further and stepping aside to allow Naruto in. Naruto cautiously stepped inside, enjoying the warmth. Sasuke's house was plain, but it wasn't uncomfortable. Unlike the rest of the town there were no Christmas decorations, but it still had character. The walls were a light tan color with beautiful hardwood floors that looked as if the wood was marbled. The furniture was a warm brown and there was a stone fireplace at the far wall of the living room. There were a few family photos on the fireplace mantle, while a large T.V. sat above it. There was a knitted blanket strewn across the sofa along with a plush pillow. Sasuke must have been laying on it before Naruto came.

"Feel free to have a seat. I'll make some hot chocolate." Naruto nodded his head and took off his shoes, his sock clad feet moving quietly across the hard wood floor. There was a plush rug under the coffee table and Naruto enjoyed walking on it as he sat on the couch. It only took a few minutes for Sasuke to come back with the hot chocolate, and the distinctive smell of mint caused Naruto to grin broadly.

"Is that peppermint?" Naruto asked, reaching out for the large mug. To Naruto's surprise Sasuke actually laughed. He'd never seen more than an amused chuckle from him before this and he had to say, it looked good on him.

"You seem to like it."

"Don't tell me you knew I was coming over?" Naruto said, laughing at the idea. Sasuke must have thought it was funny too, because once again Naruto was graced with his laugh.

"My friend really likes hot chocolate, so I keep a supply of different flavors for whenever the mood strikes her," Sasuke explained, taking a seat in the arm chair. Naruto nodded, thinking of the girl with pink hair.

"Is it the girl with the pink hair? From the other night?" Naruto couldn't stop from asking. Sasuke nodded and Naruto's heart sank.

"Yeah. She comes over whenever she wants and gets mad if I don't have any." Naruto took a large gulp of his hot chocolate, ignoring the burn on his tongue.

"You must be close. Is she your girlfriend?" Naruto tried to ask it as casually as possible, but he was sure he wasn't hiding how invested he was in the answer. To Naruto's surprise, Sasuke looked absolutely disgusted by the question.

"Hell no. We agreed long ago that we could only be friends." Naruto nodded, a weight lifting from his chest and the knots in his stomach loosening.

"Oh, okay." They sat in silence for a solid minute, and Naruto wasn't sure if Sasuke felt awkward, but Naruto definitely did.

"So how come you left work? If it wasn't my dad scaring you off. The girl said you never get sick," Naruto finally asked. He was almost done with his hot chocolate and now he needed another conversation to distract him.

"I don't know. Your dad ordered his drink, asked if I knew you, and then a few minutes later I started feeling sick. It was like the room was spinning."

"Are you running a fever?" Naruto asked, and before he knew what he was doing he reached over and rested a hand against his forehead. Sasuke jumped back, startled, and Naruto quickly apologized, realizing what he'd done.

"It's okay. You just startled me. I don't think I have a fever," Sasuke said, and Naruto nodded. In fact, Sasuke's forehead felt quite cool.

"Maybe you just got dehydrated or something. Or maybe you haven't been getting enough sleep?" Sasuke shrugged and Naruto frowned. He wanted to help, but he didn't know how. Then suddenly, an idea came to him. What if it had to do with the reason for the interference? Maybe whatever it was, was affecting Sasuke as well. As inconspicuously as possible, Naruto inched closer to Sasuke and tried to sense anything that might be there. Naruto almost gasped when a sudden blip could be felt. As if it was just under the surface, breaching for air. He couldn't figure out what it was, but he knew it had to be the cause of everything. He couldn't tell if it was magic, but if he could sense it, it had to be something like that. But why would there be something magical latching onto Sasuke? As far as he could tell, Sasuke was completely human. If he wasn't, Naruto would have been able to sense his magic signature. It wasn't unheard of for magical creatures to live in the human world, or even breed with humans, but it wasn't common, and usually they were easy to spot.

"Naruto? Are you okay?" Naruto started out of his daze and looked at Sasuke, his expression concerned.

"Huh?"

"You just kind of zoned out there."

"Yeah, sorry. I was just thinking of something my dad told me," Naruto said, rubbing the back of his neck. "Has anything like this happened before?" Sasuke shook his head.

"This is the first time. I'm sure it was nothing," he said, waving it off.

"Yeah, probably," Naruto agreed, finishing the last of his hot chocolate. "Well, I guess I should get going. I'll let you get some rest." Naruto stood up and went for the door, but was stopped when he noticed the window. How had they not noticed it was snowing? In fact, it looked like it was coming down hard.

"Woah, when did it start snowing?" Sasuke said, walking up behind Naruto and starring out the window. "You didn't drive here, did you?" Sasuke asked, and Naruto shook his head. "I can give you a ride if you want," Sasuke offered.

"Uh, yeah, that would be great." Naruto was a bit nervous having Sasuke go to the barn, but he really didn't want to get caught walking home if it got worse. It was then that he noticed how dark it had gotten. Sasuke pulled on his shoes and coat and opened the door, ready to walk out when a sudden gust blew snow into the entrance. Sasuke quickly shut the door, sighing.

"Man, it looks like it's going to be a blizzard. I don't think I can drive in that," Sasuke said, looking up at Naruto. "I guess you'll have to stay here until it blows over."

"Uh, that's okay, I'm sure I'll be fine," Naruto said, moving towards the door. Sasuke instantly moved to hold it closed.

"No way I'm letting you walk out in that. You'll freeze to death." Sasuke's face was hard and determined and Naruto sighed.

"Fine." He totally wanted to stay with Sasuke, and it would be good for the investigation, but somehow Naruto knew something would go wrong. It was just his luck.


	5. Chapter 5

_Author's Note: Yo! I hope you guys liked last chapter. I wrote these all before uploading this story so I find myself forgetting what is in each chapter, haha. Even so, I hope you guys are still enjoying it. I'm excited to get to the end and find out how you all like it. If I remember correctly, it is after this chapter when we start sort of barreling forward. Only a few more chapters to go! Please, let me know what you all are thinking! I love to hear form you. Anyway, please Favorite, Follow, and Review. Enjoy!_

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"You can wear these to sleep in," Sasuke said, handing Naruto a pair of pajama pants that matched his own, just in a different color, as well as a plain t-shirt.

"Thanks," Naruto said, a blush in place as he grabbed the clothes.

"The restroom is just down the hall on the right." Naruto nodded and quickly made his escape. Once in the bathroom, Naruto locked the door and stared at himself in the mirror. He could do this! He just had to focus on figuring out what was causing the interference. Even if Sasuke didn't know about it, surely, he could tell Naruto something useful. Magic didn't just latch onto someone casually. It always did so with a purpose. If Naruto could figure out what that purpose was, maybe he could figure out how to stop it. If he just kept on focus, then hopefully he wouldn't do or say anything too embarrassing.

With a firm nod to himself, Naruto changed into the warm, oversized clothes, and left the bathroom. He had balled his clothes up and sat them next to the couch before sitting down. Naruto was vaguely confused by the size of the clothes, because Sasuke didn't look any bigger than him, but then he noticed they were big on Sasuke too. If Naruto thought about it, all of Sasuke's clothes looked oversized. He hadn't noticed it before, but thinking back, while his clothes weren't unflattering, they were definitely big on the man. It made Naruto wonder what Sasuke's body actually looked like.

"You get lost?" Sasuke said, a smirk in place, but Naruto just looked at him in confusion. Sasuke rolled his eyes. "I was making a joke about you taking so long," he said, and Naruto felt his cheeks heat up.

"Oh! Sorry. It was funny," he tried, not wanting to make Sasuke feel bad, and forcing out a laugh.

"It's fine, don't hurt yourself," Sasuke said, waving it off. "Did you want more hot chocolate? Or I have other drinks if not." Naruto shook his head, but Sasuke stood anyway. "Okay well I'm going to have some eggnog."

"Eggnog?" Naruto asked, and Sasuke looked at him surprised.

"You do know what eggnog is, don't you?" Sasuke asked incredulously, and Naruto nodded. Of course he knew what eggnog was. His parents drank it often. They said it was a great way to keep warm, but if Naruto remembered correctly there was usually alcohol in it, and his parents had never let him have any.

"Yeah, I've just never had it." Sasuke looked even more surprised by this and after a moment he disappeared into the kitchen. Naruto waited patiently, wondering what Sasuke was doing, until he finally came out holding two large cups.

"Here," Sasuke said, handing the glass to Naruto. Naruto took it and sniffed, recognizing the milky appearance of eggnog. Naruto scrunched up his nose, a strange smell penetrating his nose. Sasuke looked at him expectantly, and so not wanting to refuse his hospitality, Naruto took a careful sip. Despite it's funny smell, it actually didn't taste too bad. There was a bit of a strange taste that Naruto didn't recognize, but it was covered up by the taste of cinnamon. Naruto instantly felt his stomach start to warm up.

"So what do you think? It's basically a Christmas staple," Sasuke said, and Naruto grinned.

"I like it." Naruto could understand why his parents enjoyed it, and wondered why they never let him have it.

"Good. I don't think we could be friends if you didn't," Sasuke chuckled, and Naruto grinned. Sasuke was so much more easy-going at home, and he was starting to become addicted to his laugh. It was rather carefree and gentle.

"Well I'm glad I like it then," Naruto laughed. He took another sip as he looked around the room. Catching sight of the family photo's once more, Naruto remembered his objective and turned to Sasuke.

"Is that your family?" he asked, catching Sasuke's attention, who had flipped on the T.V. Sasuke looked up and Naruto was surprised to see the frown on his face.

"Yeah." Naruto waited for further elaboration, but was given none. Naruto once again got the feeling that this was personal business, and he shouldn't be nosy, but he ignored that feeling and pushed forward. He had a job to do after all.

"Do they live nearby?" Clearly Sasuke had some negative feelings about his family, so maybe that had something to do with the magic.

"They did." The simple answers were so clearly a sign that Sasuke didn't want to talk about it, and Naruto felt bad pushing, but he really needed—and wanted—to know.

"Did they move?" Sasuke sent a glare at Naruto before sighing and looking back at the T.V. Naruto felt his heart ache at the glare, and the sudden sadness that melted into Sasuke's eyes made Naruto instantly wish he had just stopped asking.

"They died." Naruto's eyes widened and he quickly looked down at his mug, shame turning his face red.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked."

"No," Sasuke said, sighing and shaking his head. "It's not a secret, everyone in town knows. There was a fire at our family home last year, and my whole family was killed. I had just gotten back to school after visiting for the holidays." The sadness and pain in Sasuke's eyes made Naruto's heart wrench and he could feel tears pricking in his eyes. He couldn't imagine losing his entire family like that.

"I'm so sorry, Sasuke. Is that why there are no decorations?"

Sasuke shrugged. "It's hard to get into the spirit." Naruto nodded. That made sense.

"Was Christmas a big deal in your family?" Naruto asked. Sasuke might be feeling sad, but Naruto could also see the love he felt for his family. Maybe bringing up better memories would help.

"Not in particular, but the town always makes a big deal of it, and it was hard not to get super festive. My family was a big deal in the town, and so we had to put on a good show. We always got a huge tree, and put it right in the front window." Naruto could see Sasuke's eyes begin to glimmer as he talked about his family.

"That sounds amazing. Christmas has always been my favorite holiday. It's kind of hard for it not to be," Naruto added, laughing.

"Your family is big into Christmas?" Sasuke asked, and Naruto let out barking laughter.

"You could say that. It's pretty much our whole world." Sasuke nodded. He seemed to be in a better mood now, and Naruto grinned, feeling more relaxed. He didn't like seeing Sasuke in a bad mood.

Suddenly, Naruto noticed a flare up of that feeling, the one that caused his body to shiver. It must be the magic, but what had caused it? Naruto leaned closer, hoping to get a better feel. If he could tell what kind of magic it was, it might help. Unfortunately, Sasuke stood at that moment and left for the kitchen. When he came back, he was carrying a large bottle. It was Christmas themed, and when he set it down Naruto could see the label read 'Eggnog.'

"Saves us a trip," Sasuke said, and poured himself another glass. Naruto nodded and took another sip of his cup. He didn't know how Sasuke was drinking it so fast. Naruto was starting to feel a bit odd, and he could only blame the eggnog, but Sasuke seemed fine.

"So how did you meet Shikamaru?" Sasuke suddenly asked, flipping to a Christmas movie.

"I met him through Kiba."

"Kiba?"

"The guy with crazy brown hair. They were delivering some hay and feed for me." It took Naruto a good few seconds before he realized what he'd said.

"You have a horse?" Sasuke asked, looking very interested. Naruto jumped, and he tried to think about what was being said, but for some reason his brain wasn't moving quite as fast anymore.

"Uh, yeah, a horse," Naruto finally said after a few beats. Sasuke gave a small smile, and Naruto felt his heart skip a beat.

"My family used to raise horses. We had a whole stable."

"Really?"

Sasuke nodded. "It was sold after the fire. I kind of miss being able to go riding."

"Well why don't you buy one?" Naruto asked, his cheeks a rosy pink and his eyes half lidded. He'd finished his glass of eggnog and carefully poured another.

"I could, but I would need to pay to house it somewhere, and I don't have the time to care for it."

"Is it expensive?" Naruto asked. He had quickly learned that money was not only essential in the human world, but not everyone had the same amount.

"You should know if you have a horse," Sasuke said, and Naruto suddenly remembered his lie.

"Oh! Uh, yeah. My family actually has a stable back home. My parents are paying for me to keep him here."

"You sound like I used to. You really do live in a little fantasy world," Sasuke said, laughing. Naruto joined in, not completely understanding the implication.

"Is that a bad thing?" Naruto finally asked.

Sasuke seemed to think about the answer before speaking. "No, it's kind of endearing. Unfortunately, I've grown quite cynical."

"You don't seem very cynical to me," Naruto said. His vision was becoming a bit fuzzy and he was steadily forgetting why he was there and what he was supposed to be doing. Instead, Naruto was becoming more and more enraptured by Sasuke's presence. His hair was somehow looking more and more soft the messier it got, and Naruto had an urge to pet it, and see if it was as soft as the rabbits that hopped around the North Pole.

"Somehow, you seem to chase it away," Sasuke said, and Naruto blushed, making his already warm cheeks feel like they were burning. How did his parents drink this all the time? He felt like he was burning up now. Maybe he should change.

"Thanks. Um, do you have anything else I could wear? It's suddenly really hot," Naruto asked, using his hand to fan himself. Maybe it was because he was used to the North Pole and sleeping in the barn. Sasuke probably had the heater on too.

"Yeah, hold on." Sasuke jumped from the couch and disappeared through the hallway before coming back a moment later with a pair of shorts in hand. They looked like they were made of sweatpants material and although they looked like they would be warm, it was better than the pajama pants he was wearing.

Sasuke handed him the shorts and Naruto quickly thanked him before standing from the couch and pulling off the pajama pants.

"Uh, you can use the bathroom if you want," Sasuke said, his cheeks turning pink.

"I'm good," Naruto said with a grin. He quickly pulled on the shorts and sighed. "Much better. So what are we watching anyway?" He flopped back onto the couch and turned to the T.V. Sasuke stared at him a moment before turning to the T.V.

"Uh, some made for T.V. Christmas movie. I think it's called Holiday in Handcuffs. Basically, this lady kidnaps a customer from her crappy job and forces him to meet her parents pretending to be her boyfriend." Naruto laughed.

"That sounds ridiculous."

"Yeah," Sasuke said. "But it's pretty good. I saw it last year with Sakura." Naruto couldn't help but pout at hearing the pink haired girl's name. They were so close, and Naruto was jealous. Maybe he should kidnap Sasuke and bring him home. What would his parents think? His dad would probably scold him. His mom would probably be excited. It wasn't often she got to meet new people. His mom was such a lively person.

They sat in silence as they watched the movie, Naruto becoming more and more enraptured by it as he finished a second glass of eggnog. He was laughing quite obnoxiously whenever anything remotely funny happened, and a part of Naruto was sure Sasuke must be getting annoyed with him. Whenever he looked over at him though, Sasuke didn't look upset, and he seemed to be enjoying himself. When the movie finally ended, Naruto was a ball of joy.

"Did you see that?" he yelled at Sasuke, jumping from the couch. "He bought her painting!" Naruto was jumping up and down, laughing loudly and cheering. "So sweet!" Sasuke laughed, watching as Naruto made a fool of himself. Suddenly, Naruto collapsed back onto the couch, feeling tired and dizzy.

"Are you okay there?" Sasuke asked as Naruto tipped over and rested his head against his shoulder.

"Yep. Feelin' great," Naruto said, sighing as he rested. It was quiet for a few moments, and Naruto thought he might doze off when he heard Sasuke say something.

"What was that?" Naruto asked. Naruto wasn't positive but Sasuke sort of looked like he was nervous.

"Uh, how come you hadn't been to the café for the past two weeks?" it took Naruto a moment to understand the question, but when he did, he sat up, feeling embarrassed.

"I couldn't face you."

Sasuke seemed surprised. "How come?"

"Because I made a fool of myself that night in your back yard. You definitely think I'm some creep." Naruto fiddled with his fingers as he looked down at the plush carpet beneath his feet. Naruto was shocked to hear Sasuke's loud laughter. When he looked over, Sasuke was bent over, tears in his eyes. Naruto wasn't sure how to react and just stared at him with large, confused eyes.

"Naruto," Sasuke started through his laughter, a warm smile breaking through his hysterics. "Do you like me?" Naruto froze, not sure what to say, but before he could think about it, his lips were moving.

"Yeah."

Sasuke sighed, his smile wavering. "Naruto, you're drunk."

"I don't know what that means, but it doesn't matter." Sasuke looked baffled at Naruto.

"You don't—Do you even know what I'm asking?"

Naruto frowned and made sure to look Sasuke in the eyes while he spoke. He had to make sure he got this right. "Of course I do. You asked if I'd like to do this with you," Naruto said, and leaned in, capturing Sasuke's lips in a soft kiss. He wasn't ignorant. He knew what liking someone meant. Some things were universal, and Naruto had been alive for a while, he wasn't a stranger to intimacy.

Naruto frowned when Sasuke jumped back, looking at Naruto with wide eyes. He looked flustered, and Naruto immediately regretted his actions.

"I'm sorry, I—"

"Ah!" Naruto's apology was cut off by Sasuke's cry as he clutched his head. Naruto moved closer, worry replacing his guilt.

"Sasuke, are you okay?" Sasuke shook his head, eyes squeezing shut as he ground his teeth together.

"Is it the same as before?" Naruto asked. Sasuke remained silent, and Naruto was about to ask again when he felt an intense amount of magic come off of Sasuke. It nearly knocked Naruto on his butt at the intensity, and unlike before, this flare up didn't die down. Instead, it remained at high intensity, only fluctuating slightly. It was as if something was trying to get out.

"Damn it," Sasuke ground out between his teeth, crawling from the couch and falling onto the floor. Naruto was in a panic, not knowing how to help. Was this his fault? Maybe the magic was reacting to his own. The same thing might have happened when Sasuke had talked to Minato, which was why he had felt sick.

"Hang on Sasuke, I'll fix this." Naruto knelt down beside Sasuke and reached out a hand, laying it on his side. With a deep breath, Naruto focused on the magic signature coming from Sasuke and slowly began pulling it into himself. He could feel his own magic wrapping around it and as he pulled more and more into him Naruto could feel his body become colder. Once Sasuke relaxed Naruto pulled his hand back and he was surprised to see it had become pale, and Naruto couldn't stop shivering. It felt like he had just eaten a large cup of ice.

Naruto looked back down at Sasuke and frowned when he saw he was asleep. Sighing, Naruto pulled Sasuke into his arms and stood up. He carried him down the hall and to the only other door besides the bathroom. Naruto laid him on his bed and pulled the covers over him. It was hard for Naruto to tell, but Sasuke's skin also felt rather cold. Once he was sure Sasuke would be warm enough, Naruto left the room and curled up on the couch. He pulled the blanket off the back and curled up, sighing. He wasn't sure what he was going to do. It was clear that not only was Sasuke at the center of the interference, but he was causing it. The amount of magic holed up in Sasuke was quite large and could easily affect the List's magic. It felt old, like his or his father's magic, but he didn't recognize it, nor could he figure out why it would be in Sasuke. Naruto wasn't sure how, but he would have to figure out how to fix it fast, because it seemed like it was hurting Sasuke as well.


	6. Chapter 6

_Author's Note: Another double update! I wonder if you enjoy these? Does it get you excited? Well, I hope it does, because I get excited doing it, like baking cookies for someone. I just can't wait to give it to you. Anyway, this chapter we really start to get an idea of what's going on...I think? We get to learn a bit about Naruto at least. Anyway, I'm counting down now until the final chapter. Only a couple more updates! As always, Favorite, Follow, and Review. But most of all, Enjoy!_

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The next morning, Naruto woke up shivering. He slowly opened his eyes and was shocked by the sight of his breath billowing through the icy air. When had it gotten so cold? Quick as a flash, Naruto leapt form the couch and dashed into the hall. He had almost forgotten about Sasuke. If he was this cold, Sasuke must be freezing. He had to make sure he was okay.

When Naruto threw the door open, he was met with a chilling wind that made Naruto regret not bringing his blanket. The first thing Naruto did was look to Sasuke. Despite the frozen chill in the room, Sasuke looked as the he was sleeping quite peacefully. Naruto quickly walked over and rested his hand against his skin. Despite the coolness of it, his skin wasn't discolored, and looked as it always did. Sasuke wasn't shivering either, nor were there puffs of air billowing from his mouth. At first Naruto was afraid he might not be breathing, but when he held his hand in front of his face, he could feel his breath.

Deciding Sasuke wasn't in any immediate danger, for whatever inexplicable reason, Naruto turned to find the cause of the indoor winter. His immediate thought was the window, and sure enough it was open, a bit of snow sitting on the sill and just on the floor. Even with the heater on it was still cold enough to keep intact. Naruto quickly moved to the window and shut it. He definitely hadn't opened the window last night, and he didn't remember it being open. Had Sasuke opened it? It had been a near blizzard last night, so he couldn't imagine Sasuke being stupid enough to open it. Perhaps he had done so in his sleep? Another question was why Sasuke didn't seem to be affected by the cold air. Even Naruto had been freezing when he woke up, and it was much colder at the North Pole than it was in Konoha.

"Could it be the magic?" Naruto mumbled aloud, starring at Sasuke. Slowly walking over, Naruto reached out to Sasuke with his left hand while he nibbled on the thumb of his right. There was no way, right?

Naruto gasped when he reached his magic out towards Sasuke. Not only was the magic flowing openly now from the other man, but Naruto could feel it encasing the room. It was clear, whatever magic was inside Sasuke, it had an affinity for the cold, which wasn't normal. All magic Naruto had encountered, up until now, had a warm sensation associated with it. It was like an energy with its own life and gave off its own warmth. Naruto didn't know what to make of the icy magic.

"Uh, Naruto?" Naruto's heart leapt to his throat and he jumped at the sound of his name. He clutched his chest, heart pounding and focused back on Sasuke, who was now starring at him in confusion and concern.

"S-Sasuke! You're awake," Naruto said, taking a deep breath to calm himself. Sasuke nodded slowly, looking around the room.

"Yeah…so, why are you standing over me?" Naruto blushed and took three quick steps back towards the door, holding his hands up in surrender.

"No, sorry. I wasn't trying to loom," Naruto tried to explain quickly. Now Sasuke _definitely_ thought he was a creep. Why did Naruto keep putting himself in these situations? "I uh, was just making sure you were okay."

"Okay?" Sasuke asked.

"Yeah, uh, you fainted last night," Naruto started, not sure of Sasuke remembered. "And the window was open this morning," Naruto watched as Sasuke's eyes widened and he turned to see the now melting snow on his sill and floor. "I wanted to make sure you weren't hypothermic," Naruto finished. Sasuke nodded, pulling the blanket aside and looking down at his feet and hands.

"I think I'm fine."

Naruto nodded with a nervous laugh. "Yeah, that's good. I guess you have really warm blankets."

Sasuke nodded slowly, still looking a bit perplexed before turning and standing up. He gave a long stretch; one Naruto couldn't look away from even while he was covered in his oversized shirt and pants.

"Food!" Naruto blurted out, trying to focus on something other than Sasuke's body. Sasuke jumped, startled, and looked to Naruto in confusion. Naruto rubbed the back of his neck.

"I, uh, I mean, I can make some food, as thanks for letting me stay here."

"Uh, sure, thanks." Sasuke said, and Naruto nodded, scurrying from the room. He missed the small smirk that appeared on Sasuke, trying to escape as quickly as possible.

"So what's for breakfast?" Sasuke asked once he made his way into the kitchen. He had pulled on come clothes for the day, consisting of a pair of loose jeans and a large hoodie. Naruto had also pulled on his clothes from yesterday before searching the kitchen.

"Well, I found some eggs and bacon, is that alright?" Naruto asked, scratching at the back of his neck. "I'm not much of a cook, so I can't do anything fancy."

"That's okay. Bacon and eggs sound great," Sasuke said, walking towards the fridge. "I just have one thing to add," he said, pulling out a tomato.

"Tomato?" Naruto asked as Sasuke walked to the counter and pulled out a cutting board.

"Yep," Sasuke said, nodding. "It's my favorite food, and is great for breakfast." Naruto gave him a skeptical look but just shrugged and turned back to his own pan. It didn't take long for everything to be cooked and they were soon sitting at Sasuke's small breakfast table munching away. Despite Sasuke's insistence, Naruto didn't partake in any of the tomatoes. Sasuke didn't really seem to mind though, and easily ate them himself.

"Do you work today?" Naruto asked. He wasn't sure what to do while Sasuke worked. He needed to keep an eye on him and try to figure out how to stop the interference, but he still didn't know why the magic in Sasuke was causing it, and he wouldn't be able to talk to him while he worked.

"Yeah—" Sasuke started, but was interrupted by the ringing of his phone. Sasuke quickly pulled it form his pocket and answered. Naruto finished his food quietly while Sasuke listened to the person on the other line. When he was done, he looked up to Naruto with a small smile.

"Scratch that. Looks like the café is closed due to the snow."

"Really?" Naruto asked, unable to hide his excitement.

"Yeah, the owner heard about the storm and doesn't want to risk someone getting hurt on their way to work."

"That's great!" Naruto grinned.

"Why, did you want to hang out?" Sasuke asked, a mischievous smirk in place. Naruto blushed as he shrugged.

"I mean, I have nothing else to do."

"You don't have a job?" Sasuke asked. Naruto laughed nervously.

"Well, sorta, but it's not really your typical job."

"What do you do?" Sasuke asked, looking interested. Naruto fidgeted. He couldn't very well tell him he was the future Santa Clause or that he was here to investigate Sasuke.

"I help my dad with his work when he's too busy." Sasuke nodded with a small smile.

"Man, you sure have the life, don't you? I bet all your friends are jealous back home."

Naruto shrugged. "All my friends back home work for my dad, so they get it." Sasuke's eyes widened, and he looked shocked.

"All your friends are your dad's employees? That must be weird."

"Not really," Naruto grinned, thinking of his friends back home. "My dad is really easy going, and we are more like a big family. Though I do get on some of their nerves," Naruto said, laughing and scratching his neck. He thought back to the day he left, and he felt a twinge of homesickness.

"I can imagine," Sasuke said with a playful smirk. Naruto frowned and stuck out his tongue. Sasuke chuckled. Naruto was about to retort when he thought about something. If anyone would know what was going on with Sasuke's magic, his dad would. Maybe he should give him a call, especially if he was going to be spending the day with Sasuke.

"Speaking of back home, I should give my dad a call. I'll be back in a minute," Naruto said, standing and pulling the phone from his pocket. His dad had given it to him yesterday, saying it was to keep him updated. His dad was getting more and more worried with each day that passed. Naruto stared at the phone a moment, trying to remember how to use it. After pressing a few buttons, he found his dad's name and clicked the call button. It only took a few rings before he picked up.

"Naruto?" Minato asked. Naruto nodded, before remembering his dad couldn't see him.

"Yeah."

"Is something wrong? Did you find out what's causing the interference?" Naruto could hear how frantic his dad was. It was understandable considering how close it was to Christmas.

"Nothing's wrong," Naruto started. "And sort of."

"What do you mean 'sort of'?" Minato asked. Naruto looked behind him as he walked down the hall to make sure Sasuke hadn't followed. Naruto spoke in a quiet voice as he explained what had happened last night and this morning, leaving out the kiss, of course.

"Cold magic?" Minato asked, and once again Naruto nodded before answering vocally.

"Have you ever seen anything like it?"

"No, although…" Minato said, trailing off.

"What?" Naruto asked, feeling anxious.

"It's nothing really, and either way it doesn't affect your mission. Do you know why the magic in Sasuke is interfering with the List?"

"Not yet. I was hoping you might have some ideas," Naruto said hopefully.

"Well if Sasuke is unaware of the magic, it must be reacting to his subconscious. Magic is strongly influenced by emotions," Minato explained, and Naruto nodded. He knew that. It's why teaching magic control at a young age was important, especially if someone had strong magic. There was nothing more dangerous than a toddler's magic during a temper tantrum.

"Okay, I'll look into it," Naruto said before hanging up. Naruto made his way back to the kitchen with a smile. He felt kind of bad about lying to Sasuke, and investigating him behind his back, but Naruto had a job to do, and it wasn't like he was lying about liking Sasuke. He would have wanted to hang out with him whether he was the cause of the interference or not.

"Sorry about that," Naruto said, smiling as he walked back into the kitchen. Sasuke was just finishing he dishes.

"It's okay, so what did you want to do today?" Sasuke asked, turning around to face Naruto. Naruto opened his mouth to answer, but was startled by a loud ringing. Naruto jumped and pulled out his phone in confusion. Why was it ringing?

"Uh, sorry, just a sec," Naruto said, answering the phone.

"Hello?" he asked slowly, unsure.

"Naruto! We have a problem."

"Kiba?" Naruto asked in shock. "When did you—"

"Your dad gave me your number before he left." Kiba said quickly.

"Oh," Naruto said, a bit thrown. "Uh, what's the problem?"

"Vixen is missing."

"Again?" Naruto yelled, eyes wide. How many times did he have to tell that damn reindeer not to cause trouble? Was he trying to give Naruto a heart attack? Had one of the elves bribed him to make this job as difficult as possible? As much as Naruto loved Vixen, they had practically grown up together, he just couldn't handle the reindeer's shenanigan's sometimes. It was more fun when they were doing them together.

"Yeah. The snow caused part of the barn roof to cave in. He must have flown out through it."

"Damn it. Okay, I'll be there in a bit," Naruto said, hanging up the phone with a frown and sighing when he looked back at Sasuke.

"What's wrong?"

"My, uh, horse got out last night. I have to go find him."

"Are you serious? Well I'll come help. It's not safe for a horse to be out in the snow for so long," Sasuke said, walking to the living room to grab his coat. Naruto quickly followed shaking his head with a nervous smile.

"No, uh, it's fine. He's used to the cold, and I'm sure he's just wondering around looking for food. No need for you to worry." Sasuke stopped and looked at him with the most unconvinced stare Naruto had ever seen, and he felt his throat close.

"Naruto, there is no way I'm staying. It's not like I have work anyway. Now hurry up and grab your coat, I'll drive us." Naruto saw the determination in Sasuke's eyes and didn't bother arguing. He really didn't have time anyway. He needed to find Vixen before someone else did.

"Fine," Naruto said, grabbing his coat and following Sasuke out the door. They both stopped up short when they saw the amount of snow on the driveway and car. The streets must have been cleaned off earlier, but they still had enough snow on them to be dangerous.

"Or we can walk," Sasuke said. Naruto frowned and sighed. He didn't really mind walking, but it was going to take twice as long. "How far is it?" Sasuke asked, turning to Naruto.

"Uh, I think it's about five miles," Naruto said. Sasuke nodded and then motioned for Naruto to begin walking.

"Well, lead the way." Naruto nodded and they began walking. Maybe if he was lucky Vixen would show up on his own.

"What took so long?" Kiba called as he spotted Naruto. "Sasuke?" Kiba asked, stopping to look at the other man in confusion. "What's he doing here?"

"He wanted to help find Vixen."

"He knows?" Kiba asked, eyes wide, and Naruto quickly hushed him, pulling him into the barn where Shikamaru and Choji were waiting. They walked over and Naruto quickly explained.

"I was at Sasuke's when you called and—"

"Oh, what were you doing there so early in the morning?" Kiba interrupted, a perverted grin in place.

"I got stuck there when I went to check on him. Anyway, I told him my horse had gotten out and he insisted on helping."

"That's unfortunate," Shikamaru said, and Naruto nodded.

"We will have to try and find Vixen before Sasuke can." They all nodded and walked back out. Sasuke eyed them suspiciously.

"Well? Are we going to go searching?" Naruto nodded. They quickly headed towards the surrounding woods. As they walked, Shikamaru pulled Naruto a bit back and whispered to him.

"Can't you sense him?" Shikamaru asked, and Naruto shook his head somberly.

"I can't explain it all now, but the magic coming off Sasuke is making it impossible." Naruto watched Shikamaru's eyes widen.

"Sasuke has magic?" he whispered, and Naruto quickly nodded before hurrying to rejoin the group. They needed to split up, and as much as Naruto wanted to find Vixen, he needed to make sure Sasuke didn't.

"Hey, we should split up to cover more ground. Sasuke and I can make a group, and you three can make the other," Naruto said, stopping the group. Kiba and Choji gave him curious looks but one glance at Shikamaru assured him that he would explain it to them.

Everyone nodded and decided which directions to check before splitting off. Kiba, Shikamaru, and Choji would check the woods heading towards town and Sasuke and Naruto would check the other direction.

"So your horse's name is Vixen?" Sasuke asked, breaking the silence. Naruto nodded. "Is there another named Dasher?" Sasuke asked with a chuckle. Naruto blushed and looked away. Sasuke's eyes widened and he laughed outwardly. "Man, I guess you weren't kidding about Christmas being the world to your family.

"Yeah," Naruto gave a nervous laugh. He knew it was dangerous to have Sasuke out here, but he hoped once he was close enough to Vixen, he would be able to sense and avoid him. Besides, the last time Vixen got out he had gone towards the city, so hopefully he would do the same again this time.

"Don't be embarrassed. My family used to have a horse named Comet."

"Really?" Naruto asked, surprised.

Sasuke nodded. "We used to take him to the children's hospital around Christmas. My older brother would dress up as Santa to go along with it. The kids really liked it." Naruto grinned. Sasuke's family sounded amazing. He wished he'd had the chance to meet them.

"Is your brother the one in the photos with the tired looking eyes?" Naruto asked, remembering the image of the handsome man who looked remarkably close to Sasuke, though not quite as delicate. Naruto was sure Sasuke would hate him fi he said that aloud.

"Yeah," Sasuke said, laughing. "He was always busy, and didn't sleep much. He always found time for the holidays though. He loved when it snowed, and forced me to build a snowman with him every Christmas." Naruto listened with a large smile in place.

"He sounds great. I'm an only child, so I don't really know what that's like," Naruto said with a laugh. Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"Well don't worry, he was a huge pain in the ass too. Be glad you aren't a younger brother," Sasuke mumbled, frowning.

"I don't know," Naruto said, lifting his arms up to rest the back of his head in his hands. "I bet it was nice having someone to look out for you. I had the el—uh, my dad's employees, but I don't think it's the same."

Sasuke looked like he was lost in thought before snapping out of it. Naruto's step stuttered when he felt a small fluctuation in Sasuke's magic.

"Yeah, he was always doing that, even when I didn't want him to." Naruto watched Sasuke get lost in thought once more, paying attention to the fluctuations. Maybe his family was the trigger? The only times Naruto had felt a flare up was when Sasuke talked about his family. Well, that and when it was reacting to his or his dad's magic.

Naruto's thoughts were interrupted by the ringing of his phone and he quickly pulled it out, pausing from walking. "Hello?"

"We found him!" Kiba cheered

"That's great! Take him back to the barn. We will head back as well."

"Okay, see you there." Naruto hung up the phone and grinned at Sasuke who had turned to wait for him.

"They got him?" he asked, and Naruto nodded.

"Yeah. Let's head back."

Luckily when they got back Kiba and the others were waiting outside, Vixen presumably already in the barn. Naruto waved and grinned.

"So where was he?" Naruto asked.

"Wandering around the park near the elementary school. Luckily no one was there," Shikamaru said. Naruto nodded. Thank god. Although kids seeing him wouldn't be the worst thing, he didn't want scared parents calling animal control.

"Thanks guys. I can take care of him now."

"You sure?" Kiba asked, glancing at Sasuke. Naruto nodded and they went to Kiba's truck. Naruto turned to Sasuke, smiling.

"Thanks, Sasuke. Even if we weren't the one's to find him, I appreciate the company."

"No problem. So," Sasuke said, looking towards the barn doors. "Do I get to meet this troublesome horse?" Naruto frowned and scratched the back of his neck.

"Uh, he's actually not very good with strangers. It's probably better to let him rest after all this." Sasuke eyed him suspiciously for a moment before nodding.

"Okay, well I guess I'll head back home then," Sasuke said, turning to leave. Naruto hated to see Sasuke leave, but he needed to take care of Vixen. This couldn't keep happening.

"Oh, here!" Naruto said, jogging up to Sasuke. "Give me your number," Naruto said, handing his phone to Sasuke. "That way I can call you if I need your help again." Sasuke nodded and grabbed Naruto's phone, typing in his number.

"Or," Sasuke said, a smirk creeping onto his lips as he handed it back. "if you need my company again." Naruto's cheeks turned a burning red and he was unable to say anything, just nodding with a dumbfounded look. Sasuke chuckled before turning and walking back towards his house.

It wasn't until Sasuke was out of sight that Naruto was able to snap himself out of shock. Sasuke was flirting with him! Naruto might be a bit ignorant but he definitely knew when someone was flirting with him! Did that mean Sasuke remembered last night? Naruto had assumed he hadn't since he hadn't brought it up. Did that mean Sasuke liked him to? Or maybe he was just teasing him? Damn, now Naruto was confused.

"Vixen, it's all your fault!" Naruto yelled, walking into the barn where Vixen was munching away on some hay. Vixen lifted his head a moment to stare blankly at him before going back to eating. Damn reindeer. He was playing dumb, but he knew he was causing trouble for Naruto.

"Fine, don't say anything." Naruto sighed and looked up, searching for the hole in the roof Kiba had mentioned. It wasn't hard to find. There was a pile of snow on the floor below it, and it was quite large, letting in a bright stream of sunlight. It was midafternoon now, so the sun was shining directly into the barn, melting the snow that had piled up.

"Whatever, I guess I'll just fix this," Naruto mumbled, leaving the barn to walk to town. Hopefully there would be a store open where he could buy some sheets of wood. He would love to use his magic, but fixing a roof was different from conjuring a snowball, and his dad wouldn't be happy about it. Besides, Naruto was a bit worried adding anymore magic into the air might cause problems. It might have been because Sasuke had just left, but he could feel traces of his magic floating in the air, and that made him nervous. The fact that Sasuke didn't seem to know about the magic in him made Naruto think he couldn't have been born with it, which means he has no control over it, and magic could be quite explosive. Sometimes magic could react with other magic in a negative way, especially if the owner of said magic didn't know how to control it. Such was the case of Sasuke's sudden illness. His magic was reacting to Naruto's and his dad's. It seemed like it was trying to force its way out in response, causing Sasuke immense pain. Now, for whatever reason, the magic in Sasuke was flowing much more freely, and while that meant Sasuke shouldn't have another episode, it also meant untamed magic was freely entering the air.

It took the rest of the day for Naruto to fix the roof. Luckily there had been a store open where he could buy wood, but he'd had to carry it back to the barn himself and by the time he'd done that, he was tired, and fed up. Consequences be damned, Naruto used a bit of magic to adhere the wood to the roof. As the sun set, Naruto flopped down onto his makeshift bed and sighed quickly falling asleep under a pile of blankets.


	7. Chapter 7

_Author's Note: Hey guys! I hope you all are still enjoying the story. It's coming to an end, only two more chapters after this one. Please don't forget to tell me what you think of it all! I'll only get better with your feedback :). Anyway, please don't forget to Follow, Favorite, and Review. Enjoy!_

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Sasuke frowned as he helped the next customer, not even bothering with pleasantries. It was the week before Christmas and Sasuke was about at his limit. This was the first Christmas without his family and it was hitting him hard. However, instead of being a sad, sobbing mess, he was growing more agitated and he felt like he was about to snap at someone any moment. If only the people in this town weren't so damn festive. Every customer that day had been wearing something to remind him of Christmas. He could block out the fact he had to wear that stupid Santa hat, he couldn't see it, but with all the Santa hats, and reindeer antlers, and damn ugly Christmas sweaters, Sasuke was losing it.

"What do you want?" Sasuke asked, and the customer looked shocked by his tone. Sasuke just glared at them and asked again. They quickly ordered and paid before hurrying off. Before Sasuke could ask the next customer the same, he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned to see the store manager with a frown.

"Hey, why don't you head home. I know it must be hard for you, but we can't have you scaring the customers." Sasuke just rolled his eyes and walked to the back to grab his coat and chuck the Santa hat on the counter. A few coworkers said goodbye while others remained quiet, afraid of Sasuke's temper. As soon as Sasuke walked out the café doors, he bumped into someone. He was about to yell at them, angry eyes set in a hard glare, but he paused when he saw that it was Naruto. Sasuke swallowed his angry words and sighed.

"Hi, Naruto."

"Hey Sasuke! Uh, I came to see you. Are you leaving early?" Naruto asked, glancing inside the café. Sasuke nodded, stepping to the side to allow some people to pass.

"They said I was scaring the customers."

"Is something wrong?" Naruto asked in concern. He knew Naruto was worried about him, and as much as he enjoyed Naruto's company normally, he didn't think he could handle his happy demeanor.

"I just need to go home. All this Christmas stuff is giving me a headache." Sasuke watched Naruto frown, and he was about to walk to his car, when Naruto's hand on his shoulder stopped him.

"Um, I know you probably don't want company, but I was thinking maybe we could hang out tonight?" Sasuke gazed at Naruto, taking in the warmth on his cheeks and nervous fidgeting, and he sighed. He didn't want to hurt Naruto's feelings. He did like the other man, and even if he was having a hard time, it wasn't right to ruin it for Naruto too. He had said Christmas was important to his family.

"Yeah, sure. I'll text you later," Sasuke said, trying to smile as warmly as possible. Naruto grinned and nodded.

"Okay, see you later Sasuke!" he said, then walked into the café. Sasuke sighed and walked to his car, climbing in and feeling his entire body sink into the seat. He felt so tired. With another sigh—he was full of them today—he started the car and drove home. Maybe a nap would do him some good. He hadn't been sleeping well the past few days and it wasn't helping his already sour mood.

"Sasuke!" Sasuke looked up from his steering wheel in confusion. That sounded like Sakura. Sasuke looked out his side window and lo and behold Sakura was running across the street, ignoring the oncoming cars.

"What are you doing?" Sasuke asked, glaring at the smiling girl.

"I was just coming to see you. I wanted to make sure you didn't forget your promise!" Sasuke stared at her, ignoring the honking behind him as he tried to remember what his friend was on about.

Sakura frowned and climbed in the car, motioning for Sasuke to go. The light had been green for almost a minute already. "See, I knew you forgot. But why aren't you at work?" she asked.

Again, Sasuke sighed. "I was sent home early. Now what are you talking about?" Sakura was grinning and Sasuke felt his stomach twist, nervous he had somehow shot himself in the foot.

"Great, then we can get going now," she said.

"And where are we going?" Sasuke asked, wishing she would just answer him. Clearly, he didn't remember what he had promised her, and she was just being vague to irritate him.

"You promised to help me pick out outfits for Christmas and New Years," she finally said, looking a bit annoyed now.

"Why?" Sasuke asked. Sakura always spent the holidays with her family, what did she need special outfits for? Better yet, why had Sasuke promised to help in the first place? He hated shopping.

"I'm spending the holidays with Lee and his family. I need to look nice."

"Lee?" Sasuke asked, and now Sakura seemed irritated.

"The guy I've been dating for the past two months? Do you even listen when I talk to you?" Sakura groaned. They were almost at Sasuke's now.

"Most of the time," Sasuke said. Sakura groaned and glared at him.

"Well it doesn't matter. You promised you would help me. I need some of that rich boy class." Sasuke rolled his eyes. Did Sakura even see what he wore? It wasn't exactly high fashion. Sure, before he would dress up with his family, it was expected, but now he didn't have anyone to impress.

"Fine," Sasuke said, pulling into his driveway. "Let me just change." Sakura nodded and followed Sasuke into his house. He watched her shiver as he pulled off his shoes.

"Jeez, it's freezing in here."

"Is it?" Sasuke asked. He'd turned the heat down earlier in the week. It had felt rather warm and he didn't feel the need for the extra heat. Sasuke left Sakura in the living room and walked to his bedroom, opening his closet and pulling out a change of clothes. Pulling off his work shirt, Sasuke slipped into a black hoodie and a pair of dark jeans.

"Okay, let's go," Sasuke said, walking back to the living room. Sakura hopped up from the couch and looked him over before frowning.

"You used to be so good looking," she said, and Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"I still look the same."

Sakura shook her head. "You dress like you're homeless…or fat." This was a conversation he was used to. Ever since the fire Sasuke had stopped putting so much effort in how he looked. It just seemed like a waste of time and energy.

"I dress like I'm comfortable," Sasuke replied, climbing into his car and starting it.

Sakura huffed. "If you say so," she mumbled. "Turn on the heater," she said, reaching out and blasting the heat. Sasuke grunted but said nothing. He thought it was too warm, but if it made her leave him be, he would deal with it.

No sooner did they park than Sakura was pulling Sasuke into a store. He really didn't want to be shopping, especially during Christmas, when everything and everyone was overly festive to the point of being obnoxious. Half the people he saw were wearing festive outfits ranging from classy to tacky and it was all making Sasuke really want that lost nap.

"What about this one?" Sasuke looked up from his phone and took in her outfit. It was a red sweater with white snowflakes on it and green pants. Sasuke quickly shook his head. Sakura sighed and went back in the dressing room. Maybe he should text Naruto. He hadn't napped, and Naruto had wanted to hang out. It was still early though, and he was sure Naruto didn't want to play judge in Sakura's shopping trip.

"How's this? I really like the bow." This time she wore a large green sweater and red pants with a red hair bow and cream scarf. Sasuke shook his head.

"You said you wanted something classy, right? Try and find a dress." Sasuke tried to imagine what his mother used to wear for the holidays. She always looked beautiful, and captured everyone's eye.

"Ugh, fine, wait here while I look," Sakura said, changing clothes and heading back into the store. Sasuke just nodded, pulling out his phone and playing a game. Ten minutes later Sakura came back with her arms full. Sasuke immediately trashed her first outfit. It was a red dress with white trim and tool. Sasuke actually laughed at that one, calling her Mrs. Clause. The next dress was a sparkly green, but it was kind of short, and it was form fitted. Not really something for a family Christmas.

"Okay if it isn't this one I give up," Sakura said, walking out in a pretty red, strapless dress that was loose and flowy from the waist down. There was a slit in the front on the top layer, creating a pretty ruffle. Over it she wore a long, cream pea coat, and she had on a pair of red heels. Sasuke was actually a bit lost for words. All the red really accented the green of her eyes and made them shine.

"That one."

"Really?" Sakura asked, surprised. "I thought it might clash with my hair," she said, twirling a piece. Sasuke shook his head.

"It looks good." Sakura nodded and walked back into the room to change. Once she paid, their next stop was to find her a New Years outfit. Sasuke just followed her from store to store, shooting down all her picks.

"You are going to be with Lee's family, right? You don't want to look like a hooker," Sasuke said about Sakura's last pick. She glared at him but quickly changed. Finally fed up with store hoping, Sasuke got up and searched for himself. It had been several hours and he was going to lose it if he had to shoot down one more outfit. He searched through the store for a few minutes before making his selection and tossing it into Sakura's dressing room.

"Put that on," Sasuke said. He heard Sakura grumble, but it wasn't long until she emerged in his pick. It was a black sleeveless romper with a low v-cut neck. He paired it with a black blazer that had faux diamond detailing and black shoes with a sparkly heel.

"See Sasuke, you have such great taste. Why do you dress like a bum?" Sakura said, walking out and strutting around the dressing area. Sasuke shrugged, not bothering with an answer. Finally, they were done once she paid and they took the bags back to Sasuke's car before deciding to go get food. It was now late afternoon, and the streets were becoming quite full. Sasuke should text Naruto now. Sakura wanted to walk around after they ate, and he figured it would be fun for Naruto too. This whole week the streets would be busy with celebrations and music and games for people to partake in. it was like a weeklong festival. Sasuke would have preferred to stay home, but it couldn't be helped.

"Isn't Naruto that weird guy who was creeping in your backyard?" Sakura asked when he mentioned inviting him. Sasuke couldn't stop his sudden bark of laughter, doing his best to reign it back in.

"He isn't a creeper. He was looking for his dog," Sasuke said. "And we've actually gotten pretty close," Sasuke defended. Sakura gave him a knowing smirk and Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Don't get too ahead of yourself," he said. Sakura giggled and looped her arm around his, walking happily along the road.

"Don't be coy. You never get close to _anyone_." She giggled again and Sasuke just sighed. She was such a romantic, and always tried to drag him into her fantasies.

"Maybe he will be your Christmas cutie—Oh! Or your New Years kiss!" she cheered. Sasuke grunted, fighting the slight blush in his cheeks and ignoring the rest of her babbling as they walked to the restaurant.

He told Naruto where to meet them and it didn't take long for him to show up. He was wearing a pair of blue jeans and a warm looking red flannel. Sasuke couldn't help but chuckle. He kind of looked like a lumberjack.

"Hey Sasuke! And, uh, I'm sorry, I don't remember your name," Naruto said, walking up to their table. They were lucky to get in the small restraint when they did because it had gotten packed quite quickly.

"It's Sakura, and you're Naruto, right?" Sakura asked, shaking his hand. Naruto nodded and took a seat. "So how did you meet Sasuke? I'm assuming you him him before creeping in his yard," she said with a laugh, causing Naruto's face to become enflamed. Sasuke was less embarrassed about the even and more so about Sakura's behavior.

"Uh, I, uh—" Naruto tried, his mouth opening and closing like a fish. Sasuke decided to come to his rescue, because that's what a good guy does.

"He came into the café and stared at me for an hour. Then came back later that day with friends and stared at me for another hour." Now Naruto's face looked like it was about to pop from all the blood rushing to his cheeks and for a moment Sasuke was worried he might faint.

Sakura and Sasuke laughed as Naruto just stared at them in horror. Sasuke thought about apologizing, but decided it wasn't sincere. He enjoyed seeing the other man so flustered. Finally, Naruto broke out of his petrification and quickly pulled the menu up to cover his face. Sasuke was pretty sure the waitress became Naruto's messiah when she walked over and asked if they were ready to order. They quickly recited their orders and the waitress left with a warm smile.

"So how was your nap?" Naruto asked. "Are you feeling any better?" Sasuke frowned and glared at his innocently smiling friend.

"I didn't get to take one. Sakura kidnapped me to go shopping."

"You made a promise, I was upholding it," Sakura argued. Naruto seemed a bit confused, and if Sasuke pushed it, a bit annoyed, but he just nodded.

"She's spending the holidays with her boyfriend's family, so she wanted to impress them."

"Yeah, despite what he looks like, Sasuke actually has an eye for fashion."

"I think he looks fine," Naruto said, and Sasuke had to work to hide his smile.

"I'm sure you do," Sasuke said, her one eyebrow raising conspiratorially. Sasuke couldn't handle her sometimes. Naruto didn't seem to understand her implications though, so Sasuke didn't mind it too much.

As they walked out of the restaurant, Sakura suggested walking around to see the festivities, and of course Naruto agreed. In the restaurant it hadn't been too bad, but the overwhelming Christmas cheer was impossible to escape on the streets. Even with the snow and wind, people were still happily milling about and enjoying themselves. Sasuke couldn't stop a frown from making camp on his face.

"Oh, look over there! It's ice carving," Sakura called out, dragging the two of them over to a small stage where a man was carving a reindeer out of ice. There was already a gift box glistening in the lights.

"I love ice carving!" Naruto cheered. Sasuke wanted to enjoy the bright shining light in Naruto's pretty blue eyes that nearly mimicked the ice before them, but he couldn't. The whole day Sasuke felt the weight in his chest getting heavier and heavier and while he'd had a bit of a reprieve, it hadn't dwindled at all. Now it was only getting worse and it was making things impossible to enjoy. It was as if everything was covered in a dark haze and Sasuke actually found himself squinting at things, wondering if it was all in his head or not.

"Are you okay?" Naruto asked, walking back to Sasuke and laying a hand on his shoulder. Sasuke looked at it a moment, not sure whether he felt warm or cold form the touch. He nodded. He didn't need to worry the other man, especially when he was having fun.

"Yeah, come on, let's look at something else." Naruto nodded and the three of them made their way down the street. There were a bunch of food stands, but they had just eaten, and so didn't pay them any mind. There were a couple of pop-up shops selling handmade crafts, advertising them towards last minute shoppers. Sakura dragged them to a few, fawning over the cute trinkets and handmade blankets. They had come across a shop that had small handmade figurines. Some of them were original, but most looked like replicas of Christmas motifs. There was the Virgin Mary, gift boxes, wreaths, and even a few Christmas trees.

"Look Sasuke!" Sasuke turned tiredly to see—for the hundredth time—what Sakura wanted to show him. His eyes widened and a large lump formed in his throat.

"It's a perfect replica of the Uchiha Christmas tree. I used reference photos to make every detail as accurate as possible," the woman at the stand said. Sasuke was aware his family's tree was a Christmas treasure in their town, but this was too much for him.

"I don't want to see this," Sasuke growled, turning away and walking down the street. The woman hadn't lied. The tree was an exact replica, down to the large fan tree topper they had custom made. Even the ornaments were the same, at least the recognizable ones, like the ones he and Itachi had made for their parents when they were young.

Sasuke felt sick. He felt a cold chill engulf him and Sasuke could feel his heart pounding as panic began to set in. He shouldn't be upset. The tree was a happy memory for the townspeople, of course they would want to celebrate it. Why couldn't Sasuke just be happy his family had been so loved?

Because it didn't matter, they were dead, gone, and no matter how much the people loved them it wouldn't fix that. Sasuke didn't want to be constantly reminded that he was alone now, and would have to face the holidays without his family. It wasn't fair. He looked up and glared at a family laughing as they played one of the games set out. How could they be so happy? What was so great about this stupid holiday in the first place? The gifts? The presents? It was supposed to be a time to celebrate with family, but he had lost his, and no one seemed to acknowledge that. His family was just a token to these people, a damn motif. The Uchihas weren't real people to them, and neither was he. Why did they deserve to celebrate?


	8. Chapter 8

_Author's Note: Oh my God, guys. I would first like to say I am SO sorry. I actually totally forgot I still had chapters to update until yesterday. I've been busy with school and work and other stories. Still, it's no excuse, an I sincerely apologize. With that in mind, I really hope these last two chapters live up to your expectations! Hopefully it was all worth the wait. Please leave me reviews letting me know what you think! Please Favorite, Follow, and Review. But above all, Enjoy!_

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Naruto jumped as his phone went off, glancing in the direction of Sasuke's disappearing figure before answering. "Hello?"

"Naruto." It was his dad. "What is going on down there?" Naruto wasn't sure what his dad was talking about until suddenly he was overwhelmed by a powerful magic. He coughed, falling to a knee as it choked him. Sasuke's magic was getting out of hand now, but how did his dad know all the way from the North Pole?

Sakura immediately crouched down, worried green eyes trying to find his. "Are you okay?" she asked. Naruto nodded his head, taking a painful breath and forcing himself to stand. The magic in the air was thick and lashing out at everything it could touch, forcing Naruto's own magic to try and retaliate. He was doing all he could to keep it under control, and he could feel himself begin to shake at the effort.

"I'm fine. I gotta go," Naruto said quickly before walking away from Sakura. Once he was a good distance from the large crowd, ducking into a small alley, Naruto answered his dad, his voice struggling to remain even.

"It's Sasuke. It's like the magic has completely burst. I can hardly hold my own back," Naruto explained, taking deep breaths. "But how did you know?"

"The interference has spread. It's as if a large cloud has obscured not just Konoha but the surrounding areas. I'm coming down there," Minato said, and whereas he had been leaning against the wall for support before, at that moment Naruto pushed off it in a bout of urgency.

"No! I can handle it."

"No Naruto. Clearly this is too much for you. You said it yourself, you can hardly contain your own magic in the onslaught," Minato said matter-of-factly. Naruto frowned, the energy he once had dissipating and he slumped back against the wall. His dad was right, this was too much for him to handle as he was, but he couldn't just abandon Sasuke. The magic in Sasuke was already reacting to Naruto and his dad's magic before, now Naruto could only imagine it would be worse. It had to be putting a serious strain on Sasuke physically, and clearly his mental state was a bit fragile. How would they contain his magic anymore without harming him further? Naruto frowned.

It was clear to him now—and Naruto didn't know why he hadn't realized it before—that Sasuke's hate for Christmas was the cause of it all. His magic was most likely reacting to a desire to forget about Christmas or block it out, or something. If Naruto could just get Sasuke to enjoy Christmas again, maybe it would stop the interference, and the onslaught.

"Just give me a few hours. I have an idea."

"Naruto," his father began disapprovingly.

"Please, just a few hours. Trust me." There was silence for a brief moment before he heard his dad sigh.

"You have three hours, then I'm coming down there." Naruto agreed and hung up. First things first he had to get to Sasuke. He most likely went back home, so Naruto immediately went in that direction. The snow had begun to fall much quicker, and Naruto squinted as the wind picked up as well, blowing it around. This was the result of his own magic, trying to work against Sasuke's. He could feel it pushing through his control, but he carried on.

When he reached Sasuke's the snow was beginning to pile up and already it was piling up. Naruto dashed up to Sasuke's door, feeling claustrophobic the closer he got as the magic wrapped around him like an angry snake. Clearly Sasuke didn't want company.

"Sasuke?" Naruto called out, knocking on his door. He waited only a few moments before reaching for the handle. At that moment it opened to reveal Sasuke with suspiciously red eyes.

"What?" Sasuke asked roughly, glaring at the other man. Naruto ignored the hurt in his chest and pushed his way forward, wrapping Sasuke in a hug and shutting the door. It didn't help much to fight the cold as a chill had taken over the house as well.

"What the hell are you doing?" Sasuke grumbled, trying to push away from Naruto. Naruto wouldn't let him, and pulled Sasuke's head into his shoulder and squeezing tighter.

"Sasuke you need to stop," Naruto said, trying to hide the pain in his voice. The air felt nearly electrified with all the magic warring and Naruto wondered if Sasuke could feel it. Sasuke's magic was trying to lash out at him ferociously and the longer he held Sasuke the more he felt like needles were being shoved into his body.

"Then let go," Sasuke growled out. Naruto shook his head.

"I'm not talking about that," he said, pulling Sasuke away from him but still holding him by the shoulders.

"Then what are you talking about?" Sasuke asked, shoving Naruto's arms away, and causing Naruto to yip in pain. He quickly pulled his hands to his chest and looked down to see his skin beginning to discolor where Sasuke had grabbed him. It was ice burn.

Sasuke's eyes widened in confusion as Naruto bent over in pain. Naruto quickly forced himself to ignore the burning and stood back up to face Naruto. Sasuke looked down at his arms by his side, and his eyes widened further, trying to reach out.

"Naruto what happened to your—"

"It's fine," Naruto said, cutting him off. He didn't need Sasuke to feel guilty, it wasn't his fault. "I need you to stop being so angry," Naruto said, a sad frown in place. Sasuke's eyes hardened and he took a step back, glaring at Naruto.

"What are you talking about? I'm fine," Sasuke said, turning to walk into the kitchen. Naruto grabbed his shoulder once more, flinching at the pain it caused to his injured arm.

"You're angry Sasuke. You lost your family, you have every right to be—"

"That's right, now let me go," Sasuke hissed, pulling his shoulder free. Again, Naruto stopped him. The weight of magic in the room was growing worse as Sasuke became more defensive.

"Yeah, you do, but you need to stop now. It's causing you, and everyone around you pain, trust me," Naruto said, glancing down at his pained wrist.

Sasuke turned around sharply, glaring daggers at Naruto and a painful jab of icy magic shot against him, causing his own magic to lash out. A burst of wind blew the door open, throwing snow into the room. Both men ignored it as they stared at each other.

"What the hell do you know? You just got here."

"I like you Sasuke," Naruto said, glaring at the dark-haired man. Sasuke seemed a bit shocked by the declaration despite Naruto knowing he remembered his earlier confession. "Seeing you in pain hurts me. But, more than that, it is my job to make you happy again. To make you enjoy Christmas, otherwise, this whole town is going to suffer." Sasuke's surprise morphed into confusion, and he glared at Naruto once more.

"What are you even talking about? You sound like a wackjob." Naruto frowned at the insult, but went on.

"I need to show you something," he said, reaching out to grab Sasuke's wrist. Sasuke snatched it back, eyeing Naruto suspiciously. The pain at seeing the mistrust in Sasuke's eyes rivaled that of the icy magic constantly assaulting him. "Please? Just trust me?" Naruto asked, now holding his hand out in invitation, and forcing his stance to soften. Sasuke seemed like he was debating with himself before sighing and reaching out his arm to be grabbed by Naruto. Naruto thanked him and quickly headed towards the door.

"We need to go to my barn, you should put on a coat," Naruto said, handing Sasuke the coat hanging by the door. Sasuke just pulled it on and followed Naruto out the already open door, being sure to lock it behind them. They couldn't take Sasuke's car, the snow now too thick on the road to drive, so they walked. Their magic was continually warring around them, and while Sasuke seemed completely unawares, Naruto was feeling it all too much. There were several times he had to pause to catch his breath. He was still trying to keep his magic under control, but he was quickly losing the fight. Wind and snow whipped around them and into their faces, and Naruto watched as Sasuke pulled his coat up to cover his nose. Naruto chuckled lightly, the wind too loud for Sasuke to hear.

It took them about thirty minutes to make it to the barn, and Naruto was panting, all his energy nearly depleted. He had stumbled a few times, and Naruto noticed as they pressed on, with each tumble Sasuke looked more and more concerned.

"Are you okay?" he asked, and Naruto nodded, giving a weak smile.

"Yeah, come on. I need you to meet Vixen."

"You're horse?" Sasuke asked, stopping in his tracks. Naruto went a few more steps before he realized and turned around.

"Come on."

Sasuke glared at him. "You dragged us out here in this damn storm so I could meet your horse?" Naruto growled. "You can barely stand!" Naruto frowned.

"You'll understand in a minute, just come inside," Naruto said, turning back around and walking to the barn doors. He heaved open the door just enough for him and Sasuke to slip through, calling out to Vixen.

"Vixen, come here. I need you to meet Sasuke," Naruto said. Once he turned around Naruto slowly sunk to the floor, leaning against the closed door and panting. He immediately saw Vixen rush over to him with a blanket in his teeth. Naruto laughed. Of course, Vixen knew what was happening. He was a creature of magic, and so he could feel it too. Vixen began adamantly licking Naruto's injured wrists and Naruto winced, but allowed it. Vixen was trying to use his own magic to heal him.

Finally, Naruto looked over to Sasuke and he smiled at the expression he was met with. Sasuke's eyes were wide and unbelieving, his mouth slightly agape. There was a bit of fear and uncertainty contorting his expression, and Naruto watched as Sasuke stumbled back in awe.

"What the hell is that?" Sasuke asked.

"This is Vixen. Sorry, but he isn't a horse," Naruto said, blushing at the discovery of his lie.

"No shit," Sasuke deadpanned, never taking his eyes off the large reindeer. "Is that really a…" Sasuke's voice faded out as he tried to comprehend his own question.

"Giant reindeer? Yeah."

Finally, Sasuke turned his eyes to meet Naruto's and so many questions ran through his eyes. "Why the hell are you hiding a reindeer in here?"

Naruto sighed as he felt a bit of the magical onslaught settle down. "He's my dad's. I used him to get down here." As Naruto spoke Sasuke began slowly shaking his head, his eyes shutting and opening as if trying to wake up form a dream.

"No way. This has to be a joke. Are you trying to make fun of me?" Sasuke asked, glaring angrily at Naruto and causing his magic to attack once more, only now it was much more intense as Sasuke's anger flared. "I told you about my family. Are you teasing me? Is this supposed to make me feel better? Bring a god damn reindeer over and tell me, what, that your dad is Santa Clause?" Sasuke's voice was becoming louder, and Naruto cringed.

"Sasuke, that's not it at all. I'm not joking," Naruto tried, forcing himself to stand and try to approach the rapidly retreating Sasuke.

"Screw you! Santa Clause isn't real! Do you think I'm some idiot kid? Tell me if I'm not good I won't be getting any presents? Tell me that miracles can happen if I just believe in the magic of Christmas?" Sasuke lashed out, and Naruto cried out as the power behind Sasuke's magic intensified and a physical manifestation of it appeared, cutting Naruto like a blade.

"What the hell?" Sasuke cried out, jumping even further back. Naruto looked up, his eyes burning from the pain he was in. he was surprised to see Sasuke's eyes no longer that rich obsidian, but instead a burning red.

"Sasuke, I'm not trying to trick you," Naruto said, gasping as he clutched his bleeding arm. "Magic is real. Me, Vixen, and you, are all proof of that. You don't have to believe in miracles—" Naruto cursed as another blade of magic cut him. If this kept up he wouldn't be able to hold back anymore. His magic was pushing to defend him and attack Sasuke. "But, Christmas magic is real, and right now, you are interfering with it. The magic within you is acting on your desire to forget about Christmas and shrouding Konoha from it."

"You're insane," Sasuke said, glaring at Naruto. Naruto frowned and stepped forward.

"Look at me! This," he nodded at his aching and damaged body. "This is because you have no control of your magic. It is lashing out indiscriminately. That," Naruto indicated to the room and the wind that was billowing around. "That is because of my own trying to protect me."

"Shut up!" Sasuke yelled, and Naruto cried out as he was knocked to the ground, long shards of ice impaling his body. Vixen cried out and ran to him, pacing around the now silent Naruto. Sasuke's eyes widened, and he tried to run to him, but was stopped by the angry reindeer. Vixen reared up, kicking his legs before falling back to the ground and bucking his antlers threateningly at Sasuke. Sasuke's breath began to come in quick, rapid breaths that quickly morphed into hyperventilation. He yelped when a sudden pain appeared on his arm and he looked down to see a cut. Another cut and Sasuke looked around the room, watching as the wind picked up and began to look like silver blades. Sasuke jumped as he was cut once more and he cried out, trying to wake up Naruto.

It was no use, and Sasuke could feel panic take over. He dropped to his knees and lent over, tucking his head beneath his hands and squeezing his eyes tightly shut. Slowly he became aware of the heavy air in the barn and he could feel as two energies warred with each other. Sasuke didn't make a sound as more and more cuts appeared on his body, unable to speak as he tried to process everything, his brain shutting down from the overwhelming shock.


	9. Chapter 9

_Author's Note: So here is the last chapter. I hope you guys weren't disappointed with the last one. And I hope you aren't disappointed with this one. This whole story had started on a whim, and it sort of just wrote itself with only a vague idea of the end. Please let me know what you think of the ending! It really helps me learn what does and doesn't work. Anyway, without further ado, the last chapter of Avoiding the Holidays. Please Favorite and Review. And as always, Enjoy!_

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When Sasuke came to, he was still crouched on the floor of the barn, but he no longer felt that overwhelming weight in the air, nor did he feel his body being assaulted by sharp blades of wind. However, he did feel a strange weight within his own body. He slowly looked up, wondering if he had dreamt or imagined everything, but when he looked up his eyes were met by the sight of Vixen and Naruto standing with the man Sasuke had met once before; the man Naruto said was his dad.

"Sasuke," Naruto said, looking over at him. Sasuke was shocked by the man's eyes, the pupils no longer resembling a human's but rather a frog's, or a goat's.

"Oh," he said, laughing softly and scratching the back of his neck. "Sorry, I'm still trying to get my magic back under control." Sasuke stared in silence, unable to think of a thing to say. What could he say? Did he believe Naruto? Well, he couldn't deny what was in front of his eyes, but real magic? Santa Claus? That was crazy, right?

"Sasuke." Sasuke turned to the other man, Naruto's dad, and looked at him with the overwhelmed eyes of a child. He couldn't even manage to hide the emotions on his face. "I know you must be very confused," he started, beginning to walk over to Sasuke. "That weight you feel in your body, I sealed your magic." Sasuke tried to move back and away from the now imposing man, but was unable to. "It's putting a lot of strain on your body, and you were already fatigued. You won't be able to move around for a while. Not until you gain your energy back." Sasuke couldn't do anything but stare at the man and nod.

"Naruto? We should take Sasuke back to his house. I think I know what is going on, and you two have a right to know as well." Naruto nodded and walked over to Sasuke, reaching down to pick him up. Sasuke flinched, still in shock and unable to control his natural reaction. Naruto frowned, clearly hurt by the reaction, and Sasuke felt his own expression drop at hurting the other man. Even if he couldn't believe what was happening. Even if he was a bit afraid of the other man now, he still cared about Naruto, and he didn't want to hurt him.

Sasuke was prepared for the long walk back to his home, but instead, Naruto's father walked over to them and, wrapping an arm around Naruto, a burst of warmth engulfed them and suddenly they were in his living room.

"What—" Sasuke cried, panicking and attempting to escape Naruto's arms, only to tumble to the floor in pain. He felt like he had been beaten up by a professional fighter and every movement felt like he was being stabbed by needles.

"Sasuke!" Naruto cried, kneeling down and attempting to help the man back up. Seeing Sasuke was unable to support himself, Naruto carried him to the couch and sat him down. It took all of Sasuke's effort to remain sitting upright, but he refused to show anymore weakness.

"So, what's going on dad?" Naruto asked, sitting beside Sasuke while Naruto's dad sat across from them in a chair.

"I think it all started after the fire," he began, and Sasuke's eyes widened.

"How do you know about that?" he asked, and Naruto's dad smiled.

"I know a lot of things. Part of the job." Sasuke frowned, still unaccepting of the whole Santa Claus thing.

"Come on dad," Naruto whined.

"Magic is…" he trailed off, contemplating his words and weighing them carefully. Sasuke could already feel his impatience rising. "There are creatures born of magic, such as me and Naruto, or Vixen," he explained, focusing his words on Sasuke. "but, magic isn't just energy. It's a living thing, and sometimes it latches onto someone not born of it. This is the case with you," he said, nodding to Sasuke.

"Latches on?" Sasuke asked. "Like a parasite?" he continued incredulously. The older blonde nodded.

"Yes, in a manner of speaking."

"But why? Why would it latch onto Sasuke?" Naruto asked. "And what does it have to do with the fire?" Sasuke nodded along, turning to the other man for answers.

"I believe Sasuke has become a Jack Frost," Naruto's dad said, and Sasuke was sure both he and Naruto nearly hit the floor.

"He's Jack Frost?" Naruto yelled. His dad laughed.

" _A_ Jack Frost. Contrary to popular belief, Jack Frost isn't a _person_ , but a sort of race." Sasuke listened intently. Whether what the man was saying was true or the nonsense of a crazy man, at least it was interesting. "When you told me Sasuke's magic was cold, that was my first clue. Jack Frosts are the only magical creatures with cold magic, and the fact he wasn't _born_ with his magic was another clue. No Jack Frost is born with, or through, magic."

"Well how did he become one then? And how do you know all this? I've never even heard of Jack Frosts," Naruto asked, looking irritated. Sasuke couldn't really react. He couldn't even think properly. All he could do was absorb the information and hope to process it later.

"Well, Jack Frosts are extremely rare. It isn't often someone meets the conditions to become one. I've never actually met one before." He paused, looking at Sasuke, seemingly to check how he was taking it all. Naruto waved his dad along, urging him to continue. "From what I understand, the magic is attracted to those who embody all aspects of winter, and latches on to them."

"Aspects of winter?" Naruto asked, and Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"So dark and cold. Sounds right," Sasuke said snidely. Minato shook his head.

"Not necessarily. Winter is also associated with familial ties, fun, playfulness. It isn't all death and despair," he explained, sending Sasuke a reassuring smile. Fun and games, right. Well, Sasuke wasn't sure those are the traits he had.

"So I'm stuck like this?" Sasuke finally asked. Sasuke watched as both Naruto and Minato frowned.

"Yes," the older blond said somberly. "The magic has completely fused itself with you. Now, you are no different from any other magical born creature. Except that you lack inherent control. Hence the seal." Sasuke frowned. So he was going to have to live with this? With being the dark, cold embodiment of winter? What did that mean for the people around him? What if the magic got out and hurt someone? Was he just going to be miserable for the rest of his life, ruining things for others?

"Am I dangerous?" Sasuke could only think of all the representations of Jack Frost he had seen before. Always the villain, always the one who hurt others. Winter was cold, and it killed everything. Sasuke suddenly remembered what happened to Naruto's wrists. That had been because of him. It had to be. Was he okay? Sasuke quickly moved his gaze to look at Naruto's arms, but they were covered by his sleeves. Even so, Naruto caught his stare and smiled, grabbing his sleeve and pulling it up.

"I'm okay Sasuke. See?" Sasuke starred at the now, barely damaged wrist. Instead of looking pale and bruised, it was just slightly red, like when you held a cold glass for too long. Sasuke looked away, guilt still weaving its way into his chest. He had hurt Naruto without even meaning to.

"I'll be honest, yes. Your powers, more so than others, are quite dangerous. Furthermore, cold magic is different from regular magic, and it may react differently to different stimuli and behaviors. It's more volatile, particularly with your lack of control.

"Well what am I supposed to do then? Just wait until I kill someone?" Sasuke snarled, wanting to stand but only managing to twitch his leg. He felt Naruto scoot closer to him, the warmth radiating off of him in a new way, and Sasuke wondered if it was because he was colder now.

"I was thinking, um," Naruto began, sounding nervous. Sasuke turned to face him and was surprised to see a pale blush rising to his cheeks. "I was wondering if, maybe, you would like to come back with us?" Naruto finished, looking up at Sasuke with a large grin. It made Sasuke's heart skip a beat, the bright smile soothing him.

Go with them? To the North Pole? Is that where they lived? Sure, that's where the Santa Claus in lore lived, but clearly not everything was as it seemed. Naruto's dad looked nothing like the Santa Claus that was advertised, and no one said anything about them having magic like this.

Did Sasuke want to go with them? He would be leaving his home behind, not that the town had felt much like home for the past year. But what about Sakura, and his job? Could he just leave? Would he be able to come back, or would he be stuck there? He didn't imagine Naruto as the type to imprison someone, but apparently his magic had already interfered with Christmas somehow, and Minato said it was dangerous. It wouldn't be unthinkable for them to want to keep him away from everyone.

"Would I be able to come back?"

"Of course!" Naruto said immediately, grinning.

"Once you get some control of your magic, of course," Minato said, cutting in. Naruto frowned, but didn't disagree. Even so, he turned back to Sasuke with another large grin.

"Don't worry. I'm sure it won't take you long. You're super smart after all." Sasuke couldn't stop the warm blush spreading on his cheeks at the compliment. He looked away, embarrassed, and heard Naruto and his dad chuckle.

"Do we…have to leave now?" Sasuke asked.

"Well, the magic has cleared up, and it is almost Christmas. As long as Naruto keeps an eye on you, I don't mind letting you stay a bit longer." Sasuke frowned at the implication that he needed a babysitter, but he didn't argue. Considering everything that happened, he didn't feel he had the right to argue. Besides, if it was Naruto, he was sure he wouldn't mind.

"Yes!" Naruto cheered, jumping up from the couch in his excitement. Sasuke laughed, unable to hide it with Naruto looking so excited.

"Well, I should get going. I still have a lot to do, and I'm sure the elves are mad I've been gone so long." With that, Minato disappeared, and Sasuke couldn't stop his eyes from widening. It was going to take him a while to get used to that; as well as the idea that all this Christmas stuff—Santa, elves, flying reindeer—was real, and now, he was somehow a part of it. He was a Jack Frost now, whatever that meant. Surely, he had some sort of role to play.

"Here." Sasuke snapped out of his thoughts at Naruto's voice, looking down to see him handing him a mug. It smelled like hot chocolate. But when had Naruto made it?

"Where did this come from?" he asked, taking the cup into his hand and enjoying the warmth of it. Naruto gave a mischievous grin and wiggled his fingers, laughing conspiratorially.

"Just a bit of magic, but don't tell my dad," he said laughing. Sasuke chuckled, nodding as he took a sip. "Now, it's almost Christmas, so let's watch some cheesy Christmas movies!" Naruto cheered flopping back onto the couch and flipping on the T.V. Sasuke laughed, otherwise remaining silent. He wasn't sure if he felt any more festive, but seeing Naruto so excited, and knowing what he now knew about him, he couldn't completely hate the holiday. And as he said before, he was somehow a part of it now, and he was—just a bit—looking forward to seeing the North Pole and experiencing what every child dreamed about. He wouldn't tell Naruto though. After all, he didn't want Naruto to get too excited, and it was in his nature to play hard to get.


End file.
